Bausch + Lomb launches PreserVision AREDS3

Bausch + Lomb has announced the US commercial launch of PreserVision AREDS3 eye vitamins, a new over-the-counter nutritional supplement that combines the established AREDS2 micronutrient formula with a proprietary B-vitamin complex. The product is now available at major national retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. Unlike its predecessor, PreserVision AREDS3 is positioned to support a broader patient population, including those in earlier stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—a group for whom evidence-based nutritional intervention has historically been limited.

"Nutritional support for AMD management has to evolve as the science evolves," said Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, in a statement accompanying the launch. "PreserVision AREDS3 eye vitamins reflect the most current thinking in nutritional support for macular health, building on the established AREDS2 nutrients and incorporating a unique B-vitamin complex backed by more than two decades of scientific research on B vitamins. That matters in practice, because it gives me greater confidence and flexibility when discussing nutritional options with a broader group of patients, including those in earlier stages."

Formulation and clinical rationale

The AREDS2 nutrient profile—comprising lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins C and E, and zinc—remains the evidence-based standard recommended by the National Eye Institute (NEI) for reducing the risk of progression to late-stage AMD in patients with moderate-to-advanced disease, a finding supported by the original AREDS2 trial and subsequently validated in the 10-year follow-on study published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2022.¹

PreserVision AREDS3 retains the full AREDS2 formula and adds a B-vitamin complex comprising thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6, biotin (B7), folate (B9), and vitamin B12. According to Bausch + Lomb, the addition was informed by a narrative review published in Ophthalmology and Therapy in December 2025, which synthesized findings from more than 20 human studies involving approximately 30,000 individuals.² The review cited evidence from large randomized clinical trials, including the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study, which reportedly found a statistically significant association between specific B-vitamin supplementation and reduced AMD risk. The company also reports that the formulation achieves 2-times greater absorption of lutein and zeaxanthin compared to the original PreserVision AREDS2 softgel, based on area-under-the-curve pharmacokinetic comparisons.

It is important to note that PreserVision AREDS3 is a dietary supplement and, as such, has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. The evidence base supporting the B-vitamin additions draws primarily from observational studies and a single narrative review, not from a dedicated, prospectively designed trial of this specific formulation.

Disease burden and the gap in early-stage management

AMD is the leading cause of irreversible central vision loss in older Americans, affecting an estimated 28 million people in the United States.³ The condition progresses along a clinical continuum from early and intermediate stages—characterized by drusen accumulation—to advanced forms, including geographic atrophy and neovascular AMD, which carry the greatest risk of significant visual impairment.

The NEI-endorsed AREDS2 regimen has demonstrated meaningful risk reduction for patients with moderate-to-advanced AMD, but current clinical guidelines do not recommend AREDS2 supplementation for patients with early AMD, where the evidence for benefit is less established. This creates a recognized gap in nutritional management for a substantial population of patients presenting earlier in the disease course.

Interpretive framing and limitations

The inclusion of a full B-vitamin complex in AREDS3 reflects a plausible biological rationale—B vitamins are involved in homocysteine metabolism and cellular energy pathways relevant to retinal health—but the evidence supporting their role in AMD prevention or progression remains preliminary. The narrative review cited by the manufacturer is not equivalent to a prospective randomized trial of the combined formulation, and the referenced clinical associations have not been established in a study specifically designed to evaluate PreserVision AREDS3.

Bausch + Lomb has stated that a long-term clinical trial evaluating the formulation is in planning. Until such data are available, clinicians should counsel patients that the B-vitamin additions represent an evidence-informed hypothesis rather than a proven clinical benefit and that the AREDS2 nutrient component remains the only element of the formula with established, guideline-endorsed risk-reduction data.

References

1. Chew EY, Clemons TE, Agrón E, et al. Long-term outcomes of adding lutein/zeaxanthin and ω-3 fatty acids to the AREDS supplements on age-related macular degeneration progression: AREDS2 Report 28. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022;140(7):692-698. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2792855

2. Poteet J, Koetting C, Vakharia PS. Role of B vitamins in preventing the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology and Therapy. Published December 7, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40123-025-01281-1

3. American Academy of Ophthalmology. What is macular degeneration? https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration. Accessed May 4, 2026.

4. National Eye Institute. Age-related macular degeneration. https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration. Accessed May 4, 2026.