EMERYVILLE, Calif. — NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Inc, a maker of nonantibiotic, anti-infective products for eye care and wound care, has signed a national distribution pact with AmerisourceBergen Corp.

NovaBay said Thursday that, under the agreement, AmerisourceBergen will carry and distribute NovaBay’s Avenova prescription lid and lash hygiene product to independent and retail chain pharmacies across the United States. Avenova is indicated for the management of eye conditions such as blepharitis, Meibomian gland dysfunction and associated dry eye.

Including with previous distribution agreements with McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and optometry network Vision Source, Avenova now will be available to most of the nation’s 67,000 pharmacies and in thousands of ophthalmologist and optometrist offices nationwide, NovaBay noted.

“Our agreement with AmerisourceBergen represents yet another major achievement in our commercial strategy,” stated Ron Najafi, chairman and chief executive officer of NovaBay. “Patients who can benefit from Avenova are now assured that the product will be available through almost every pharmacy in America.”

Avenova contains Neutrox, NovaBay’s proprietary pure hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a naturally occurring substance that’s released by white blood cells to fight microbial invaders. The company said lab studies show that Avenova has potent antimicrobial activity in solution — yet is nontoxic — anf neutralizes bacterial toxins. Those properties enable the product’s cleansing properties to treat chronic and often painful eye conditions like blepharitis and Meibomian gland dysfunction, suffered by an estimated 30 million Americans. And because Neutrox is not an antibiotic or a steroid, there are no risks of bacterial resistance or side effects, NovaBay added.

“While it’s early in the commercial launch, we are encouraged by the market initial acceptance of Avenova,” commented Glenn Moro, vice president of sales and marketing for NovaBay. “We now have sales representatives in major markets across the country calling on top-prescribing optometrists and ophthalmologists. Our agreement with AmerisourceBergen will further increase the effectiveness of our sales team by making Avenova accessible to virtually every patient.”