What's the real skinny on Zeus?

[Anonymous]

Is this thing really "Ultra" cool or just another SiHy?

 

[Anonymous]

Is this thing really "Ultra" cool or just another SiHy?

A good number of people who worked on the development of this product were laid off. My guess is that it is just the best that B+L could come up with prior to shutting down the contact lens D&R facility for contact lenses.

 

[Anonymous]

The people were laid off before the lens was marketed. I wonder if that could effect QC?

 

[Anonymous]

Regardless of how Zeus does there will not be any progeny. Zeus has been given a vasectomy.

No son of Zeus. Only an old aging Zeus that will be replaced by the sons of man.

 

[Anonymous]

Regardless of how Zeus does there will not be any progeny. Zeus has been given a vasectomy.

No son of Zeus. Only an old aging Zeus that will be replaced by the sons of man.

Nice analogy. The way you write that its all over has the implication that Valeant are wrong to cut the R&D function. But B+L never did a good job in R&D creating new lens materials. What was the last new lens material before Zeus ? If it was my company and my money, I'd go with the Valeant model, not the old B+L way.

Vasectomies are good. People get them so they end up with less unwanted and unplanned children. Sounds exactly like B+L R&D. Creating useless bastxrd progeny that will be unloved and unsupported.

We can still adopt some new materials baby - just not now or soon.

 

[Anonymous]

It seems as if every new thread is answered by someone who can only spit anger at Valeant for cutting R& D. That is what they do, folks! It does not make them evil. If Bausch had been able to remain viable, they would have-just was not happening. No need to be mad at Valeant for being the one to buy B & L. Be mad at the owners of B & L for ruining things.

 

[Anonymous]

It seems as if every new thread is answered by someone who can only spit anger at Valeant for cutting R& D. That is what they do, folks! It does not make them evil. If Bausch had been able to remain viable, they would have-just was not happening. No need to be mad at Valeant for being the one to buy B & L. Be mad at the owners of B & L for ruining things.

Then you must assume that's the case for the dozens (if not hundreds) of companies they acquired. None of them were viable without the great savior Valeant. And if it was such a dog, why did they put up $8.7B to acquire B+L.

I agree it's what they do, but please don't make it sound as if B+L wasn't viable.

 

[Anonymous]

Nice analogy. The way you write that its all over has the implication that Valeant are wrong to cut the R&D function. But B+L never did a good job in R&D creating new lens materials. What was the last new lens material before Zeus ? If it was my company and my money, I'd go with the Valeant model, not the old B+L way.

Vasectomies are good. People get them so they end up with less unwanted and unplanned children. Sounds exactly like B+L R&D. Creating useless bastxrd progeny that will be unloved and unsupported.

We can still adopt some new materials baby - just not now or soon.

The last new material before Zeus was Biotrue ONEday ~18 months ago. And where do you think the next one will come from? What will you tell your customers?

 

[Anonymous]

Think of it like this-a contracted R& D-instead of having their own paid scientists and researchers, they, instead, will buy companies and products. Valeant will always actively search out companies they can buy for small change (yes, the price paid for B&L was chump change). They have had great success with this way of doing business.

Its not unusual, but a new concept in pharma....well, kind-of. Companies have been aqiring products by acquisitions & mergers for ever.

This keeps overhead a bit lower. Lean.

If you have not noticed healthcare is changing drastically in this country. This is a very good way to approach at this time. There is no incentive to file new drug applications. Government and managed care is forcing us down the path of generic usage. Companies can no longer foot the bill for R&D. Do you know how much it costs to bring a drug to market? Do you know the branded life of a drug? If you understand pricing & contracting, which is so different than what you do, then you would better understand how this is an exciting concept.

I know it isn't exciting if you lost your job, but welcome to universal & socialized medicine. Pharma companies are laying off R& D, sales, home office, marketing, etc. all are running on empty. As drugs have come off patent, companies are struggling.

I know some of you want to work for a company who doesn't answer to wall street/investors, but this ain't it. Hard to find. Small. Biotech is probably the place to escape to. Its all about an evolving market.

This is 2014. Its a new day. Come on board. Understand the work environ we now live in. People change jobs every few years. Companies morph too. Change is good. Embrace it. If you can't, it is time to find something you can live with. Complaining will not bring the old back. It will make you appear to have a bad attitude (and you do!). Noone wants a cry baby on the team.

 

[Anonymous]

Think of it like this-a contracted R& D-instead of having their own paid scientists and researchers, they, instead, will buy companies and products. Valeant will always actively search out companies they can buy for small change (yes, the price paid for B&L was chump change). They have had great success with this way of doing business.

Its not unusual, but a new concept in pharma....well, kind-of. Companies have been aqiring products by acquisitions & mergers for ever.

This keeps overhead a bit lower. Lean.

If you have not noticed healthcare is changing drastically in this country. This is a very good way to approach at this time. There is no incentive to file new drug applications. Government and managed care is forcing us down the path of generic usage. Companies can no longer foot the bill for R&D. Do you know how much it costs to bring a drug to market? Do you know the branded life of a drug? If you understand pricing & contracting, which is so different than what you do, then you would better understand how this is an exciting concept.

I know it isn't exciting if you lost your job, but welcome to universal & socialized medicine. Pharma companies are laying off R& D, sales, home office, marketing, etc. all are running on empty. As drugs have come off patent, companies are struggling.

I know some of you want to work for a company who doesn't answer to wall street/investors, but this ain't it. Hard to find. Small. Biotech is probably the place to escape to. Its all about an evolving market.

This is 2014. Its a new day. Come on board. Understand the work environ we now live in. People change jobs every few years. Companies morph too. Change is good. Embrace it. If you can't, it is time to find something you can live with. Complaining will not bring the old back. It will make you appear to have a bad attitude (and you do!). Noone wants a cry baby on the team.

B+L was 40% Pharma, 60% device. Medical device is very different. Try telling your customers you're no longer developing Surgical products. They're not happy. They can't switch surgical products the way they do eye drops.

Valeant would rather carry debt more than 2x sales than do any internal development. Do you know how much it costs to carry $17B in debt?

I don't equate rational arguments with a bad attitude or being a cry baby. It seems a bit immature to make that connection. I simply don't accept all the BS that this is the new way of doing business. I don't work for Valeant and would not. Like many in the medical community, I do not respect their business model.

 

[Anonymous]

B+L was 40% Pharma, 60% device. Medical device is very different. Try telling your customers you're no longer developing Surgical products. They're not happy. They can't switch surgical products the way they do eye drops.

Valeant would rather carry debt more than 2x sales than do any internal development. Do you know how much it costs to carry $17B in debt?

I don't equate rational arguments with a bad attitude or being a cry baby. It seems a bit immature to make that connection. I simply don't accept all the BS that this is the new way of doing business. I don't work for Valeant and would not. Like many in the medical community, I do not respect their business model.

If you don't work for Valeant, why do you keep posting here?

 

[Anonymous]

B+L was 40% Pharma, 60% device. Medical device is very different. Try telling your customers you're no longer developing Surgical products. They're not happy. They can't switch surgical products the way they do eye drops.

Valeant would rather carry debt more than 2x sales than do any internal development. Do you know how much it costs to carry $17B in debt?

I don't equate rational arguments with a bad attitude or being a cry baby. It seems a bit immature to make that connection. I simply don't accept all the BS that this is the new way of doing business. I don't work for Valeant and would not. Like many in the medical community, I do not respect their business model.

May not be developing. Does not mean we will not have new product. New model. Buy elsewhere. Science is not limited to the old B & L labs.

 

[Anonymous]

B+L was 40% Pharma, 60% device. Medical device is very different. Try telling your customers you're no longer developing Surgical products. They're not happy. They can't switch surgical products the way they do eye drops.

Valeant would rather carry debt more than 2x sales than do any internal development. Do you know how much it costs to carry $17B in debt?

I don't equate rational arguments with a bad attitude or being a cry baby. It seems a bit immature to make that connection. I simply don't accept all the BS that this is the new way of doing business. I don't work for Valeant and would not. Like many in the medical community, I do not respect their business model.

If you are the one posting, you are not posting rational arguments, you are only making negative statements about how Valeant does business. That's not an argument, its just anger and negativity.

No one is looking for rational arguments on how Valeant does business. We already know. Why do you continue to post your blather? I'm with the AP-CRYBABY!

 

[Anonymous]

B+L was 40% Pharma, 60% device. Medical device is very different. Try telling your customers you're no longer developing Surgical products. They're not happy. They can't switch surgical products the way they do eye drops.

Valeant would rather carry debt more than 2x sales than do any internal development. Do you know how much it costs to carry $17B in debt?

I don't equate rational arguments with a bad attitude or being a cry baby. It seems a bit immature to make that connection. I simply don't accept all the BS that this is the new way of doing business. I don't work for Valeant and would not. Like many in the medical community, I do not respect their business model.

I am in device. Who says we are not happy? Don't push your unhappiness off on us. We are fine with out you and those who think like you and spout off like you.

 

[Anonymous]

It seems as if every new thread is answered by someone who can only spit anger at Valeant for cutting R& D. That is what they do, folks! It does not make them evil. If Bausch had been able to remain viable, they would have-just was not happening. No need to be mad at Valeant for being the one to buy B & L. Be mad at the owners of B & L for ruining things.

I agree! I have been reading the B & L threads for awhile. It appears as if there are two people who are stuck in a funk after B & L put themselves on the market. I think one poster can not come to grips with that-It was not a hostile take over.

Whew! Glad I'm not the one sleeping with that every night! Must be frightening to have all that hostility bottled up next to you.

 

[Anonymous]

There are still a lot of people in R&D. Valeant just cut a little fat last year but the total number of people working in R&D is not much less than just before the former B+L and WP went on a hiring spree.

Unless Valeant cuts more in 2014 there really is not a significant reduction in R&D so even if Valeant talks as if it has substantially changed the business model it really has not in R&D so far.

A 5 to 10% cut in R&D is not a significant business model change.

 

[Anonymous]

There are still a lot of people in R&D. Valeant just cut a little fat last year but the total number of people working in R&D is not much less than just before the former B+L and WP went on a hiring spree.

Unless Valeant cuts more in 2014 there really is not a significant reduction in R&D so even if Valeant talks as if it has substantially changed the business model it really has not in R&D so far.

A 5 to 10% cut in R&D is not a significant business model change.

Percent of people laid off per product category is probably more relevant in this case. How many people that worked on Biotrue solution, Biotrue contact lens and Zeus were laid off? How many VP of R&D that worked on these products were laid off?

How many people working on primarily Pharma products were laid off? All in D&R know the answer. If you work on Pharma products you survived the layoffs. If you had any connection to Vision Care bye bye.

 

[Anonymous]

Percent of people laid off per product category is probably more relevant in this case. How many people that worked on Biotrue solution, Biotrue contact lens and Zeus were laid off? How many VP of R&D that worked on these products were laid off?

How many people working on primarily Pharma products were laid off? All in D&R know the answer. If you work on Pharma products you survived the layoffs. If you had any connection to Vision Care bye bye.

Wow, your facts are way off. A big part of the December layoffs were Pharma. Valeant does not discriminate. All positions are equal opportunities to improve shareholder value.

 

[Anonymous]

To answer the OP, Ultra is the first new material in the category in 7 years. It's not just another sihy, it allows more oxygen than any material, has the highest water content, and has the lowest modulus. This will be the market leader in 12 months. It's the best new product we've sold in VC in 20 yrs. We all feel bad for those who we're let go, but this is the best time to be in the field. This lens will vault B&L back towards the top in the lens world. I've seen enough crappy roll outs of me too products. This will change how we do biz and who we do biz with. The lens beats the market leader in every measurable category. We only hope that we can keep up with the orders, because it's already been amazing.

Been a long time coming for a lot of us that stuck around during the awful years.

 

[Anonymous]

To answer the OP, Ultra is the first new material in the category in 7 years. It's not just another sihy, it allows more oxygen than any material, has the highest water content, and has the lowest modulus. This will be the market leader in 12 months. It's the best new product we've sold in VC in 20 yrs. We all feel bad for those who we're let go, but this is the best time to be in the field. This lens will vault B&L back towards the top in the lens world. I've seen enough crappy roll outs of me too products. This will change how we do biz and who we do biz with. The lens beats the market leader in every measurable category. We only hope that we can keep up with the orders, because it's already been amazing.

Been a long time coming for a lot of us that stuck around during the awful years.

Congratulations on making the best new contact lens in the marketplace and the layoff of all who developed it.

Something seems a little off here.