Bausch & Lomb Said to Be Near $9 Billion Sale to Valeant

BY MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED

Paul Sakuma/Associated PressBausch & Lomb, an eye care products maker, filed in March to go public.

8:13 p.m. | Updated

A flurry of mergers in the health care sector appears poised to continue, as Bausch & Lomb is said to be ready to sell itself to Valeant Pharmaceuticals of Canada for about $9 billion.

A deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday, people briefed on the matter said, though they said that talks were continuing and could still collapse.

Bausch & Lomb, which makes contact lens solutions and other eye-care products, has been exploring a sale or a public stock offering for a number of months.

If completed, a sale may signal that the mergers industry is set to revive after months of fits and starts.