Bausch & Lomb settles 600 eye fungus lawsuits

Printed below is an extract of a report on more problems associated with contact lens cleaning solutions.  For many years I and CL experts have been commenting that one "cannot clean a dirty lens"  I have advocated the use of daily-disposable lenses ... the safest contact lens modality available with Daysoft available at a price equal to lenses needing to be "cleaned" every day.  I leave you to decide how shocking the B&L response has been.  Ron Hamilton June 2009.

By BEN DOBBIN, AP Business Writer Ben Dobbin, Ap Business Writer – MonJun1, 12:01amET

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Contact lens maker Bausch & Lomb Inc. had an overriding reason for going private in 2007: It wanted to handle a devastating recall of its flagship lens cleaner, its chief executive said, "without a lot of outside distraction."

Over the past year, away from the glare of public scrutiny, the optical products company has quietly settled nearly 600 fungal-infection lawsuits — with dozens more individual claims yet to be resolved. The cost so far: Upward of $250 million.

More than 700 lens wearers in the United States and Asia say they were exposed to a potentially blinding infection known as Fusarium keratitis while using ReNu with MoistureLoc, a new-formula multipurpose solution for cleaning, storing and moistening soft contact lenses.

Sometimes, the damage was irreparable. Seven people in Florida, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Tennessee and West Virginia had to have an eye removed. At least 60 more Americans needed vision-saving corneal transplants.