Bausch & Lomb recalls ReNu MultiPlus

Tuesday, 06 March 2007

Bausch & Lomb has announced that it will recall about 1.5 million bottles of its ReNu MultiPlus because of a contamination that could cause the cleanser to lose its effectiveness. The company’s decision to pull the bottles from stores makes this the second high-profile contact lens solution recall it has faced in less than a year. According to Bausch & Lomb, 12 lots of ReNu MultiPlus were contaminated with trace amounts of iron by materials from an outside supplier. This contamination could cause bottles of the solution to become discolored and lose their effectiveness before the usual two-year shelf date. After three customers reported discoloration in their bottles of MultiPlus, the decision was made to recall the 1.5 million bottles. In May 2006, Bausch & Lomb issued the first ReNu recall for its ReNu with MoistureLoc brand of contact lens solution after it was linked with an outbreak of the fungal eye infection Fusarium keratitis. According to an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 130 ReNu users in the U.S. were infected with Fusarium keratitis after using ReNu with MoistureLoc. Many former users have filed ReNu lawsuits against Bausch & Lomb, claiming that the company acted too slowly in issuing the ReNu recall. In a separate disclosure, Bausch & Lomb says that that its revenue from 2006 dropped by 3% from the previous year. The company blames the decline in profits on a loss of revenue and slower-than-expected recovery from last year’s ReNu recall.