Newsroom
MoistureLoc® Solution, Only Product Associated with Unusual
Increase in Fusarium Infections
FOR RELEASE FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2006
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL) said that the MMWR report issued today by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its case control study of Fusarium keratitis infections among contact lens wearers affirms the company's decision to recall its MoistureLoc solution and should give consumers and eye care professionals confidence in ReNu MultiPlus® and ReNu MultiPurpose lens care products.
"The CDC's conclusion that the MoistureLoc formulation was the only product with a statistically significant association with reports of Fusarium keratitis in the cases they have evaluated should put to rest any further speculation that other products may also be implicated," said Ronald L. Zarrella, Bausch & Lomb chairman and CEO.
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC have focused their investigations on the MoistureLoc formula because it was disproportionately represented in the case reports, as compared with any other product. Although certain patients have reported use of other contact lens solutions, including ReNu MultiPlus, the CDC's analysis does not indicate that these products are associated with significantly increased risk for disease.
ReNu MultiPlus and MultiPurpose are the brands more people worldwide have chosen for their contact lens care. Both products are made with entirely different formulations than MoistureLoc and each has a longstanding unsurpassed record of safety and effectiveness
Bausch & Lomb is the eye health company, dedicated to perfecting vision and enhancing life for consumers around the world. Its core businesses include soft and rigid gas permeable contact lenses and lens care products, and ophthalmic surgical and pharmaceutical products. The Bausch & Lomb name is one of the best known and most respected healthcare brands in the world. Founded in 1853, the Company is headquartered in Rochester, New York. Bausch & Lomb's 2004 revenues were $2.2 billion; it employs approximately 12,400 people worldwide and its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information about the Company can be found on the Bausch & Lomb Web site at www.bausch.com . Copyright Bausch & Lomb Incorporated.
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