Monday, October 20, 2025- Activist investor Jana Partners is quietly lobbying for a blockbuster merger between Cooper Companies and Bausch + Lomb, aiming to create a global giant in the $20 billion contact-lens and eye-care market, according to sources familiar with the talks.
The proposal, still in early stages, envisions a combination that would streamline production, consolidate R&D, and strengthen pricing power against rivals like Johnson & Johnson Vision and Alcon. Jana’s pitch to shareholders paints the merger as a “transformational opportunity” to capture post-pandemic demand for vision correction and cosmetic lenses.
Behind the scenes, both companies have shown cautious interest but face regulatory and logistical hurdles. Analysts say merging two major suppliers could trigger antitrust scrutiny in both the U.S. and Europe, given their dominant footprint in specialty lenses and surgical eye products.
Still, investors appear intrigued: both stocks ticked upward following early reports of Jana’s involvement. “This deal would redefine the competitive landscape,” one Wall Street analyst noted. “It’s consolidation with a purpose, scale, margin, and innovation.”
If successful, the merger could reshape how global consumers access affordable eye care while reigniting investor excitement in a sector long seen as steady but slow-moving. Jana Partners has a history of forcing corporate pivots through strategic activism and this latest move signals that no niche is too small for disruption.
As discussions unfold, market watchers are already calling it the “vision merger of the decade” , one that could blur the line between competition and collaboration in a rapidly evolving medical market.
0 Comments