NEW YORK (AFX) - Eye care products provider Bausch & Lomb Inc. said Tuesday that a Centers for Disease Control review of its MoistureLoc products confirms the company made the right move in pulling the contact lens solution from shelves when customers started suffering from serious eye infections.
The Rochester, N.Y.-based company said an article appearing in the Aug. 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association describes research conducted into why the products caused the potentially blinding Fusarium keratitis infection in users.
The American Optometric Association released a statement late Tuesday confirming the infections were caused by a mix of poor wearer hygiene and compliance, together with the composition of the ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution. In all, 164 cases were confirmed in 33 states and one U.S. territory. Users of ReNu with MoistureLoc were more than 20 times more likely to get the infection than non-users.
Cases of the infection started showing up in March and the products were pulled from the market in May.
'We think the report confirms that Bausch & Lomb took the right action in the interests of consumer health and safety by recalling the MoistureLoc product, and that Bausch & Lomb can continue to recommend its ReNu MultiPlus solution with confidence,' the company said in a statement.
Bausch & Lomb's current products on the market do not contain MoistureLoc.
'We applaud the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC in their efforts to facilitate a swift, definitive conclusion minimizing further patient risk,' said Dr. Jack Schaeffer, chair of the AOA's contact lens and cornea section.
Bausch & Lomb said it is increasing efforts to educate contact lens wearers about proper care of the lenses and their eyes.
Shares of Bausch & Lomb fell 3 cents to close at $46.39 on the New York Stock Exchange.
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