Basis of Presentation
General
Except where the context otherwise requires, all references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Form 10-K") to the “Company”, “Bausch + Lomb”, “we”, “us”, “our” or similar words or phrases are to Bausch + Lomb Corporation and its subsidiaries, taken together. In this Form 10-K, references to “$” are to United States (“U.S.”) dollars, references to “€” are to euros, references to “£” or “GBP” are to British pounds and references to “CAD” are to Canadian dollars. Unless otherwise indicated, the statistical and financial data contained in this Form 10-K are presented as of December 31, 2022.
Trademarks
The following words are some of the trademarks in our Company’s trademark portfolio and are the subject of either registration, or application for registration, in one or more of Canada, the United States of America (the “U.S.”) or certain other jurisdictions: AERGEL®, AKREOS®, ALAWAY®, ALREX®, AMVISC®, AQUALOX®, ARTELAC®, B & L®, B + L®, BAUSCH & LOMB®, BAUSCH + LOMB®, BAUSCH + LOMB INFUSE®, BAUSCH + LOMB ULTRA®, BESIVANCE®, BIOTRUE®, BOSTON®, COMFORTMOIST®, CRYSTALENS®, ENVISTA®, EYEFILL®, IC-8®, IC-8 APTHERATM, INFUSE®, LOTEMAX®, LUMIFY®, LUXSMARTTM, MILLENNIUM®, MINIMS®, MIOCLEAR®, MOISTURESEAL®, OCUVITE®, OPTICALIGN®, PRESERVISION®, PROBALANCE TECHNOLOGY®, PROLENSA®, PUREVISION®, RENU®, RENU MULTIPLUS®, REVIVETM, SHOWER TO SHOWER®, SOFLENS®, SOOTHE®, STABLEVISCTM, STELLARIS®, STELLARIS ELITE®, STORZ®, SYNERGETICS®, TENEOTM, TRULIGN®, VICTUS®, VYZULTA®, YELLOX®, ZYLET® and ZYOPTIX®.
In addition to the trademarks previously noted, we have filed trademark applications and/or obtained trademark registrations for many of our other trademarks in the U.S., Canada and in other jurisdictions and have implemented, on an ongoing basis, a trademark protection program for new trademarks.
XIPERE® and SCS MICROINJECTOR® are trademarks of Clearside Biomedical, Inc. and are used by us under license. VISUDYNE® is a trademark of Cheplapharm Arzneimittel GmbH and is used by us under license.
Forward-Looking Statements
Caution regarding forward-looking information and statements and “Safe-Harbor” statements under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws:
To the extent any statements made in this Form 10-K contain information that is not historical, these statements are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and may be forward-looking information within the meaning defined under applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”).
These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: our business strategy, business plans, business prospects and forecasts and changes thereto; product pipeline, prospective products and product approvals, expected launches of new products, product development and results of current and anticipated products; anticipated revenues for our products; expected R&D and marketing spend; our expected primary cash and working capital requirements for 2023 and beyond; our plans for continued improvement in operational efficiency and the anticipated impact of such plans; our liquidity and our ability to satisfy our debt maturities as they become due; our ability to comply with the covenants contained in our credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”); any proposed pricing actions; exposure to foreign currency exchange rate changes and interest rate changes; the outcome of contingencies, such as litigation, subpoenas, investigations, reviews, audits and regulatory proceedings; the anticipated impact of the adoption of new accounting standards; general market conditions and economic uncertainty; our expectations regarding our financial performance, including our future financial and operating performance, revenues, expenses, gross margins and income taxes; our impairment assessments, including the assumptions used therein and the results thereof; the anticipated effect of current market conditions and recessionary pressures in one or more of our markets; the anticipated effect of macroeconomic factors, including inflation; the anticipated impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and related responses from governments and private sector participants on the Company and, its supply chain, third-party suppliers, project development timelines, costs, revenues, margins, liquidity and financial condition and the anticipated timing, speed and magnitude of recovery from these COVID-19 pandemic related impacts; the anticipated impact from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine; and the anticipated separation from Bausch Health Companies Inc. (“BHC”), including the structure and expected timetable for completing such separation transaction.
Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “schedule,” “continue,” “will,” “may,” “can,” “might,” “could,” “would,” “should,”
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“target,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “designed,” “create,” “predict,” “project,” “timeline,” “forecast,” “seek,” “strive,” “indicative,” “intend,” “ongoing,” “decrease” or “increase” and variations thereof or other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Although we have previously indicated certain of these statements set out herein, all of the statements in this Form 10-K that contain forward-looking statements are qualified by these cautionary statements. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, factors and assumptions regarding the items previously outlined, those factors, risks and uncertainties outlined below and the assumption that none of these factors, risks and uncertainties will cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these expectations include, among other things, the following:
•adverse economic conditions and other macroeconomic factors, including inflation, slower growth or a potential recession, which could adversely impact our revenues, expenses and resulting margins;
•the effect of current market conditions and recessionary pressures in one or more of our markets;
•the risks and uncertainties caused by or relating to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, including the potential effects and economic and future impact of that pandemic (or any resurgence thereof) and the reaction to it (including as it relates to the reinstitution of any lockdowns or other restrictions), all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, and which may have a significant adverse impact on us, including but not limited to our supply chain, project development timelines, employee base, liquidity, stock price, financial condition and costs (which may increase) and revenue and margins (both of which may decrease);
•the challenges the Company faces following its initial public offering (the “B+L IPO”), including the challenges and difficulties associated with managing an independent, complex business, the transitional services being provided by and to BHC, any potential, actual or perceived conflict of interest of some of our directors and officers because of their equity ownership in BHC and/or because they also serve as directors of BHC;
•our status as a controlled company, and the possibility that BHC’s interest may conflict with our interests and the interests of our other shareholders;
•the risks and uncertainties associated with the proposed plan to separate or spinoff Bausch + Lomb from BHC, which include, but are not limited to, the expected benefits and costs of the spinoff transaction, the expected timing of completion of the spinoff transaction and its terms (including the expectation that the spinoff transaction will be completed following the achievement of targeted debt leverage ratios, subject to market conditions and receipt of applicable shareholder and other necessary approvals and other factors), the ability to complete the spinoff transaction considering the various conditions to the completion of the spinoff transaction (some of which are outside the Company’s and BHC's control, including conditions related to regulatory matters and receipt of applicable shareholder approvals), the impact of any potential sales of our common shares by BHC, that market or other conditions are no longer favorable to completing the transaction, that applicable shareholder, stock exchange, regulatory or other approval is not obtained on the terms or timelines anticipated or at all, business disruption during the pendency of, or following, the spinoff transaction, diversion of management time on spinoff transaction-related issues, retention of existing management team members, the reaction of customers and other parties to the spinoff transaction, the qualification of the spinoff transaction as a tax-free transaction for Canadian and/or U.S. federal income tax purposes (including whether or not an advance ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and/or the Internal Revenue Service will be sought or obtained), the ability of the Company and BHC to satisfy the conditions required to maintain the tax-free status of the spinoff transaction (some of which are beyond their control), other potential tax or other liabilities that may arise as a result of the spinoff transaction, the potential dis-synergy costs resulting from the spinoff transaction, the impact of the spinoff transaction on relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and other business counterparties, general economic conditions, conditions in the markets the Company is engaged in, behavior of customers, suppliers and competitors, technological developments, as well as legal and regulatory rules affecting the Company’s business. In particular, the Company can offer no assurance that any spinoff transaction will occur at all, or that any such transaction will occur on the timelines or in the manner anticipated by the Company and BHC;
•ongoing litigation and potential additional litigation, claims, challenges and/or regulatory investigations challenging or otherwise relating to the B+L IPO and the proposed separation from BHC and the costs, expenses, use of resources, diversion of management time and efforts, liability and damages that may result therefrom;