Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. has agreed to buy Abbott Medical Optics from Abbott Laboratories for $4.325 billion in cash. The acquisition, which will add to J&J’s e-commerce sales to medical professionals, will include ophthalmic products in three business segments: cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery and consumer eye health, J&J says. Abbott Medical Optics, or AMO, reported 2015 sales of $1.1 billion.

The transaction will beef up J&J’s vision care offerings. “With the acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics’ strong and differentiated surgical ophthalmic portfolio, coupled with our world-leading Acuvue contact lens business, we will become a more broad-based leader in vision care,” says Ashley McEvoy, group chairman of Johnson & Johnson’s vision care business. “Importantly, with this acquisition we will enter cataract surgery–one of the most commonly performed surgeries and the number one cause of preventable blindness.”

Both companies operate vision care product portals for their healthcare professional customers. J&J customers can order contact lenses and related products and view eye care educational resources for themselves and patients through the MyAcuvuePro portal. Abbott Medical Optics operates AMOeasy, an online inventory management and ordering system for surgery equipment and supplies.

A J&J spokeswoman says it’s too early to say whether the two B2B portals might be combined after the deal closes.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, subject to antitrust clearance and other closing conditions.

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The vision care unit is one of 250 Johnson & Johnson operating companies targeting the healthcare industry. Johnson & Johnson is No. 19 in theB2B E-Commerce 300, with estimated 2015 e-commerce sales of $8.55 billion.

 

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