(Reuters) -Bausch + Lomb will not be taken private at this time, the contact lens maker said on Thursday.

In December, the company said it was exploring a potential sale and other options that would help its Canadian parent Bausch Health to exit the eye-care company.

The contact lens maker said on Thursday taking the company private with a third-party buyer was one of several options being explored to complete a full separation from the parent company.

However, after engagement with potential buyers, such a deal will not happen at this time, it said.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Devika Syamnath)