ReNu still on sale in Ukraine

Tuesday, 05 September 2006

Despite a worldwide ReNu recall issued by Bausch & Lomb in May, a Ukrainian newspaper reports that bottles of the contact lens solution are still widely available in that country. The Ukrainian Observer writes that because of the virtual monopoly that Bausch & Lomb holds over contact lens solution sales in the Ukraine, it is extremely difficult for contact lens wearers to find products other than ReNu. Bausch & Lomb issued its ReNu recall in May after hundreds of cases of the fungal infection Fusarium keratitis were identified among users of ReNu with MoistureLoc. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that because ReNu’s disinfectant did not kill the Fusarium fungus, it was able to grow and spread to the eyes of users who applied the solution to their contact lenses. It is unclear whether the continued availability of ReNu in the Ukraine represents a deliberate act on the part of Bausch & Lomb to further profit from the recalled product, or simply shows that citizens of the Ukraine are unaware of the potential danger to their eyesight posed by ReNu. Of the more than 100 patients in the U.S. who have contracted keratitis after using ReNu, the CDC found that more than one-third will require cornea transplants to repair the damage done to their eyes.