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12 April, 2006: Fast on the heels of the eye fungus break out across America, Bausch & Lomb is pulling out its contact lens solution ReNu from the shelves. The fungal infection, called Fusarium, attacks the eyes and causes blindness. The fungus grows within the cornea and if the infection isn’t treated with anti-fungal drugs soon, it can scar the tissue and cause blindness. Earlier, doctors would treat one or two such cases in a year, none of which
occurred in patients wearing contacts. But now the number of such cases has gone up dramatically, with one clinic reporting three dozen cases in a week. In half the cases, the patients wore contacts.
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- Bausch & Lomb's contact lens cleanser ReNu yanked out of stores
- The fungal infection, called Fusarium, attacks the eyes and causes
blindness
- Fusarium
infection reported in Singapore,
Malaysia, Hong Kong
- ReNu
shipments stopped, no word about
controversy so far from company
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Cases have also been reported in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Nearly all the cases have involved people living in warm, moist climates.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing reports of 109 cases of suspected fungal keratitis. Bausch & Lomb has suspended shipments of its lens-care products. Meanwhile, its shares fell 15 years. This is the biggest decline since August, 2004 when it shares fell by 36 percent.
Bausch & Lomb refuses to discuss the product. It has scheduled a conference led by Chief Executive Officer, Ron Zarella for 8.30 am New York time.
Retailers such as Wal-Mart, Walgreen Co., and Rite Aid Corp. ordered their units to stop selling Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc. In the meantime, there seems to be a lot of confusion about what to tell millions of contact lens wearers.
Of the 30 cases Fusarium reviewed so far by the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 26 wearers of soft contact lenses were using Bausch & Lomb's ReNu. According to the CDC, two of the cases didn't use contacts and two weren't sure which cleansing solution they used.
So far, eight people who contracted the infection needed corneal transplants.
According to a spokesperson, Bausch & Lomb had no estimate for how long shipments may be stopped.
Nearly 23 percent of Bausch & Lomb's $2.2 billion sales come from lens-care products. According to analysts, ReNu with MoistureLoc accounted for $45 million of 2005 sales. They expect other products in the ReNu line to be affected by this crisis.
BY OUR PHARMA CORRESPONDENT
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