 Concern has grown since April 2006, when the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control
confirmed reports of Fusarium
keratitis outbreaks in Asia and the United States. Those agencies connected the fungal outbreaks to Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu
with MoistureLoc contact lens solution.
Fusarium
keratitis has been proven to cause eye pain, infection and scarring of the
cornea, blurry vision, glaucoma and even blindness.
Legal action has been taken for people
who used the product from its debut in September 2004 until the complete ReNu recall
in May 2006. Among the allegations made is that Bausch & Lomb knew of the problem long before redressing it.
ReNu lawsuit filed in
Rhode Island
A woman in Rhode Island filed an
individual lawsuit and a $5 million class action ReNu lawsuit against Bausch
& Lomb. It took doctors several weeks to give a definitive diagnosis to the patient, who had used ReNu with MoistureLoc. The patient underwent one surgery,
and two more will be needed.
ReNu lawsuits filed
in Florida
A federal class action ReNu lawsuit has been filed in Florida
against Bausch & Lomb. ReNu is being
investigated for potential ties to the rare and dangerous eye infection known
as Fusarium keratitis.
Another victim filed an individual ReNu lawsuit and is claiming she used ReNu with
MoistureLoc until she was afflicted with a severe case of Fusarium keratitis. The infection, which permanently scarred her
corneas, forced her to undergo extensive treatments. She may be at risk
for further injury, including blindness.
Bausch & Lomb’s
long delay
Bausch & Lomb was informed of the problem as early as
April 2005 when Hong Kong officials saw a rising number of Fusarium
keratitis cases, many of them having used the popular contact lens solution.
Nevertheless, the company did not alert consumers. And when the outbreak spread
to Singapore,
Bausch & Lomb knew but failed to report this to the FDA within 35 days as
required by law. In fact, the delay was 11 months—from June 2005 to May 2006.
The FDA may still take enforcement action against Bausch &
Lomb, but that will not help people who have been harmed by the defective
contact lens solution. They have to pursue remedies through the legal system
via ReNu lawsuits. The courts will determine whether—and to what extent—Bausch
& Lomb is liable for damages.
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