Disposable Contact Lens Antitrust Class Action Settles

Consumers may be able to benefit from a $75 million combined settlement with disposable contact lens manufacturers resolving claims of antitrust violations.

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased certain disposable contact lenses between June 1, 2013, and Dec. 4, 2018. Contact lenses in the settlement were sold by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Alcon Vision, CooperVision, ABB Concise Optical Group and Bausch & Lomb. A full list of covered contact lenses can be found on the settlement website.

Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care are two vision companies that manufacture contact lenses. Consumers who use disposable contact lenses may have purchased the companies’ products through their ophthalmologist’s office or a pharmacy.

According to an antitrust class action lawsuit, Alcon and Johnson & Johnson violated federal laws by conspiring with CooperVision, ABB and Bausch & Lomb to artificially raise the price of disposable contact lenses. Starting in June 2013, the companies allegedly agreed to implement unilateral pricing policies that set a minimum retail price for disposable contact lenses.

As a result of the scheme, consumers allegedly paid more for contact lenses than they would have in a healthy market. Without the alleged anti competitive agreements, the defendants would have allegedly priced their products lower in order to stay competitive and draw in customers. 

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