Lawyers successfully settle claims that Bausch & Lomb lens cleaner causes harmful eye infections
Bausch & Lomb has settled nearly 600 lawsuits in connection with the contact lens cleaner ReNu with MoistureLoc. Experts believe the cleaner exposed many users to a potentially blinding fungal infection.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution has the story.
Bausch & Lomb has already paid out $250 million in settlements and has dozens of more claims that have yet to be settled. Financial analysts believe the lens cleaner could end up costing the company $500 million. In some of the cases, the damage was irreversible. Seven people had to have an eye removed, and at least 60 people needed corneal transplants.
The infection, known as Fusarium keratitis, first appeared in Hong Kong in early 2005. It was not removed from shelves in the United States until April 2006. In May 2006, the company issued a worldwide recall. Many doctors had never seen the infection before and prescribed antibiotics and steroids which ultimately made the condition even worse. Victims say the infection began with a feeling of irritation which then turned into searing pain. How the infection occurred is still not entirely clear.
The impact has hit Bausch’s profits hard. MositureLoc had produced $100 million in annual sales. In October 2007, Bausch was acquired by the private equity firm Warburg Pincus in an attempt to get out of the public eye. Since the recall, Bausch has had to sell their older product ReNu MultiPlus which already has retailer-chain labels, and sales have dropped from $522 million in 2005 to $450 million in 2008.
Bausch is challenging another 500 lawsuits linking MoistureLoc to bacterial, viral, and parasitic conditions. A New York court is set to decide this week if there is a reliable scientific basis for establishing a link.
This is the second epidemic in the past few years stemming from a lens cleaner. In 2007, a popular formula made by Advanced Medical Optics was linked to a difficult parasitic infection. More than 170 people sued over that incident.
The FDA has stated that it is set to lay out more stringent testing requirements for lens solutions.
Pate & Brody is an accomplished Georgia law firm with offices in Atlanta, Macon and Madison. Our lawyers are dedicated to pursuing justice for crime victims, people who have been defrauded by deceptive business practices, or injured through the fault of others. Our lawyers have been recognized on the list of Georgia's "Super Lawyers", and included among Georgia's "Legal Elite" by Georgia Trend Magazine.
