A research report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that one-third of patients with a serious eye infection associated with Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu with Moistureloc contact-lens solution had such severe infections that they had or will need a corneal transplant. The research report will appear in the Aug. 23/30 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
ReNu with MoistureLoc, was removed from worldwide markets in May after it was linked to several cases in the United States and Asia of fusarium keratitis, a serious fungal infection that can cause blindness.Between June 1, 2005 and June 30, 2006, the CDC said it identified 164 confirmed cases of fusarium keratitis in the U.S. Of those, 94 people reported using ReNu with MoistureLoc and another 21 people reported using that solution along with others to clean their contact lenses. The May CDC report confirmed 130 cases of the eye infection in the United States. Researchers said 55 people either underwent or planned to have a corneal transplant as a result from damage caused by the infection.
“We think that there’s something about the chemical make-up of the solution that allows the fungus to grow and cause infection,” said study senior author Dr. Benjamin J. Park, medical officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We don’t know the exact mechanism, but it’s important that users of solution don’t use Moistureloc.”
Numerous lawsuits have already been filed against Bausch & Lomb on behalf of people injured by ReNu with Moistureloc. The number of cases is expected to rise dramatically as attorneys are able to clearly link the eye infections with the Moisureloc solution. Parker & Waichman, LLP, a New York personal injury law firm, confirmed that they have been retained by over 600 ReNu users who claim to have been injured by the products. The firm, which has already filed several cases against Bausch & Lomb, plans to file hundreds of additional cases over the next 12 months.
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