FDA Clears Contact Lens Solution Plant Jul 15, 2007
The plant had made the company's Renu with MoistureLoc solution that was discontinued last year after it was connected to several hundred cases of a rare, but dangerous eye infection called Fusarium keratitis in parts of Asia and the United States. The FDA inspected the plant last year and found several problems with production, including failure to properly test solutions and check suppliers. (Forbes)
AMO Makes $4.2B Bid for Bausch & Lomb Jul 6, 2007
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the multipurpose solution, Complete MoisturePlus, seems to be a factor in cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection caused by a waterborne organism that, untreated, can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness ... Federal regulators called its ReNu with MoistureLoc multipurpose contact lens cleaner, a $100 million-a-year product, the "potential root cause" of a flurry of potentially blinding Fusarium keratitis infections in the... (Sunspot.net -- Business)
Probe: Eye infection tied to recalled solution Jul 5, 2007
Acanthamoeba keratitis is rare, can cause corneal scarring, blindness. NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Results of an ongoing investigation confirm a "strong association" between use of a particular type of contact lens solution -- Advanced Medical Optics Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution -- and increased risk of a rare but serious eye infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis, or AK.. (CNN -- Health)
LegalView.com Creates Online Resource for Information on the AMO Moisture Plus Contact Solution Recall Jun 11, 2007
com Creates Online Resource for Information on the AMO Moisture Plus Contact Solution Recall - Yahoo. Secondary Navigation. (Yahoo News -- Press Releases)
First U.S. Consumer Class Action Filed on Recently Recalled Contact Lens Solution Jun 9, 2007
The complaint cites CDC data showing that consumers who disinfected their lenses with Complete(R) MoisturePlus had a seven-fold increased risk of developing a sight-threatening condition known as Acanthamoeba keratitis as compared with consumers who used other lens disinfectant products ... Moore's firm along with Schmidt in Dallas, Texas represent the plaintiff in the first personal injury case against AMO filed this past Monday on behalf of a San Diego man who developed Acanthamoeba keratitis... (PR Newswire)
Commissaries pull contact lens solution off shelves Jun 7, 2007
The voluntary recall was announced by the manufacturer after an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a connection between the solution and a rare, but serious eye infection called acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by a parasite ... Acanthamoeba keratitis may lead to vision loss with some patients requiring a corneal transplant ... The symptoms of acanthamoeba keratitis can be very similar to those of other more common eye infections and may include eye pain or... (The Dolphin, CT)
Acanthamoeba infection: What you need to know Jun 1, 2007
Acanthamoeba causes three main types of illness involving the eye (keratitis), the brain and spinal cord (Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis), and infections that can spread from an entry point to the entire body (disseminated disease) ... Acanthamoeba keratitis infection has been associated with contact lens use, although people who do not use contact lenses can become infected ... The symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can be very similar to the symptoms of other more common eye infections. (Food Consumer)
FAQs About Acanthamoeba Jun 1, 2007
Acanthamoeba keratitis primarily affects otherwise healthy people, most of whom wear contact lenses ... No known cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis being spread from one person to another have been reported ... Early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. (U.S. News & World Report)
Lens solution recalled over infection fear Jun 1, 2007
AMO said the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made data available to AMO showing that it had interviewed 46 patients who had developed acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) infections since January 2005. A total of 39 of these patients were soft contact lens wearers, 21 of whom reported using Complete MoisturePLUS products. (Irish Times)
An Eye on Contact Lens Solutions May 31, 2007
The disease involved in last year's ReNu MoistureLoc recall was the fungal infection Fusarium keratitis ... The CDC interviewed 46 people who had the condition, called acanthamoeba keratitis, and found that 21 of them reported using Complete MoisturePlus amounting to a risk seven times greater for people using the product than those who weren't. (Time.com)
AMO Lens Solution Recall: Stock Drops, Outbreak Still a Mystery May 31, 2007
They've been down this road before To the manufacturer's credit, Advanced Medical reacted swiftly once it was advised of the CDC's findings - unlike rival Basuch and Lomb, which was accused of dragging its heels for weeks over the ReNu Fusarium Keratitis infections of 2006. Still, there have been problems in the past for AMO. In November, Advanced Medical recalled 2. (Lawyers and Settlements)
Doctors of Optometry Support AMO's Voluntary Solution Recall, Urge Contact Lens Wearers to Discontinue Use May 30, 2007
Although a cause has not been officially determined, health officials from the federal government are investigating reports that Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal bacterial infection, has been potentially linked to the Complete(R) MoisturePlus(TM) brand contact lens solution ... Recently, there have been reports of increasing incidences of Acanthamoeba keratitis ... Co-infection with a bacterial keratitis is common both in contact lens cases and on the cornea, which can complicate prevention,... (PR Newswire)
Movers: Companies in the news May 30, 2007
The company eventually withdrew its product entirely after it was tied to the potentially blinding fusarium keratitis eye fungus. After first appearing in Singapore and Hong Kong, the illness affected more than 150 people in the United States. (International Herald Tribune -- Business Asia)
CDC: Eye infections, product may be linked May 30, 2007
Recent cases of acanthamoeba keratitis, a stubborn eye infection, prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend that consumers throw away bottles of Complete MoisturePlus solution and any contact lenses or cases that were used with it ... Dr. Brad Randleman, an assistant professor in the department of ophthalmology at Emory School of Medicine, is currently treating several patients for acanthamoeba keratitis ... Q. What's the link between Complete MoisturePlus and... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Living)
Recall hits Advanced Medical Optics May 30, 2007
said late Friday it was issuing a global recall for its Complete MoisturePlus lens solutions because of reports that 21 users of the product since January 2005 had contracted acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection of the cornea that can lead to blindness ... Also known as AK, acanthamoeba keratitis is generally seen in contact-lens wearers whose lenses have come in contact with contaminated water or have not been properly cleaned ... Last week, Advanced Medical said it was considering making an... (MarketWatch)
Warning: Discard Dangerous Contact Solution May 30, 2007
The infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, is caused by a parasite ... Acanthamoeba keratitis may lead to vision loss with some patients requiring a corneal transplant ... The symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can be very similar to those of other more common eye infections and may include eye pain or redness, blurred vision, light sensitivity, sensation of something in the eye or excessive tearing, but Acanthamoeba is more difficult to treat. (Click2Houston, TX)
AMO Lens Solution Recalled, Could Cause Blindness May 29, 2007
Advanced Medical Optics of Santa Ana, California yesterday triggered a voluntary recall of its product after an investigation by the CDC linked the product to an infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis - inflammation of the cornea ... The Centre for Disease Control has identified and confirmed 138 cases of keratitis, a condition usually affecting healthy people who wear contact lenses - since January of 2005 ... Officials with the CDC did state, however, that the risk of developing keratitis... (Lawyers and Settlements)
Contact Lens Solution Yanked May 29, 2007
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the company is making the move as a precaution, after reports of acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by a parasite ... Symptoms of acanthamoeba keratitis include pain in an eye, redness, blurry vision, light sensitivity. (CBS News -- 60 minutes II)
CDC warns about contact lens solution May 29, 2007
The solution seems to be a factor cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful eye infection that can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness ... An estimated 85 percent of U.S. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis occur in contact lens users, but it's extremely unusual - the estimated prevalence is one to two cases per 1 million contact lens wearers. (Herald Online, SC -- Health)
Contact lens users put on alert May 29, 2007
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert on Advanced Medical Options Complete MoisturePlus-No Rub contact lens solution, after the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control confirmed 138 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an extremely rare but serious infection caused by a parasite, among users of the solution ... She added that no cases have been reported so far, unlike last year involving Bausch and Lomb's Renu MoisturePlus contact lens solution and the Fusarium keratitis... (Gulf News)
Infection outbreak baffles officials May 28, 2007
"It is beyond comprehension," said Dr. Dan Jones, the chairman of ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who on Friday detected a case of acanthamoeba keratitis, which is behind the current outbreak. Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by a parasite ... Last year's outbreak -- of fusarium keratitis -- was caused by a fungus; there were 164 confirmed cases. (FOX59, IN)
Health Highlights: May 27, 2007 May 28, 2007
The infection in question is Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is caused by an amoeba, the A.P. quotes Michael Beach, team leader in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's division of parasitic diseases, as saying ... Neither the FDA nor Advanced Medical Optics said the contact lens solution caused increased cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, the wire service reported ... Because Acanthamoeba keratitis strikes only one or two people per million, the situation came to the government's... (Forbes)
Contact Lens Solution Voluntarily Recalled May 28, 2007
The company is taking this action as a precaution because of reports of a rare, but serious, eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by a parasite ... Acanthamoeba keratitis may lead to vision loss with some patients requiring a corneal transplant ... The symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can be very similar to those of other more common eye infections and may include eye pain or redness, blurred vision, light sensitivity, sensation of something in the eye or excessive tearing but... (Science Daily)
Company recalls contact lens solution May 28, 2007
The CDC had interviewed 46 patients who had developed Acanthamoeba keratitis since January 2005 and 39 of these patients were soft contact lens wearers and 21 reported using Complete MoisturePlus products. Acanthamoeba keratitis can produce corneal ulceration and cause severe loss of vision and even blindness. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Contact lens solution linked to infection May 28, 2007
Investigators found that the solution has been linked to 138 confirmed cases of the Acanthamoeba keratitis infection since 2005, but they said the findings were only 'preliminary' -- and that the solution has not been officially confirmed as the cause of all those cases. Almost 85 percent of previous Acanthamoeba keratitis infections in the United States have been linked to contact lens use, the newspaper said. (Monsters and Critics.com)
Eye-risk contact product recalled in Shanghai May 28, 2007
The solution is believed to increase the danger of contracting the rare eye disease acanthamoeba keratitis ... According to a Saturday statement by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the solution is suspected to be the cause of acanthamoeba keratitis, which can result in severe loss of vision or blindness ... Acanthamoeba is a microscopic, water parasite that can cause the potentially devastating scanthamoeba keratitis. (Xinhuanet, China)
AMO Announces Voluntary Recall of Complete® Moistureplus™ Multipurpose Solution May 27, 2007
CDC data was made available to AMO today showing that it had completed interviews with 46 patients who had developed Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) since January 2005 ... Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a rare, but serious, infection of the cornea. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration -- Alerts)
CDC: Dont use that contact lens solution May 27, 2007
The warning was announced after an ongoing government investigation found a potential association between use of the contact lens solution and an increased risk of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba keratitis is a painful eye infection that can cause permanent vision loss or blindness ... The CDC estimated that one or two out of one million of contact lens users are affected by Acanthamoeba keratitis, meaning that about 35 to 70 out of 35 million contact lens users in the US suffer from the... (Food Consumer)
Ophthalmologists Available to Comment on Eye Infection Update May 26, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of information released today regarding an outbreak of Acanthamoeba keratitis among contact lens users, the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges all contact lens wearers to be alert for symptoms of the infection and be especially diligent about maintaining safe contact lens-care practices ... Consumers should be aware of the signs of Acanthamoeba keratitis. (PR Newswire)
Advanced Medical Inc. considers a higher bid for Bausch & Lomb Inc. May 25, 2007
Federal regulators called its ReNu with MoistureLoc multipurpose contact lens cleaner, a $100 million-a-year product, the potential root cause of a flurry of potentially blinding Fusarium keratitis infections in the United States, Asia and other parts of the world. Sponsored Links. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Bausch & Lomb agrees to a $3.67 billion buyout May 17, 2007
Lawyers expect several hundred people will seek damages for Fusarium keratitis infections in trials beginning as early as this summer. Of the 180 infection victims confirmed so far in 35 states, 59 needed cornea transplants to try to restore their vision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said. (MSNBC -- Business)
Warning over MRSA cases Apr 13, 2007
For the first time refractive surgery has been linked to a risk of developing MRSA keratitis, a study in the April edition of the American Journal of Ophthalmogy has revealed ... According to a computerised Medline literature search, this is the first case series of infectious keratitis after refractive surgery ... One of the study authors, Eric D Donnenfeld, advised surgeons to be vigilant for community-acquired MRSA keratitis and to inform all patients of the risk factors. (Optician Online)
Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections Serious Complication After Corrective Eye Surgery Apr 11, 2007
These are the first cases of MRSA infectious keratitis following refractive surgery, the first reports of MRSA keratitis after refractive surgery in patients with no known exposure to a healthcare facility, the first report of MRSA keratitis after a laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) enhancement, and the first reports of MRSA keratitis after prophylaxis with fourth generation fluoroquinolones ... Writing in the article, Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, advises that, "MRSA infectious keratitis is a... (Science Daily)
UI scientist must give documents to court Mar 9, 2007
Bausch took the product off the market in April 2006; four months later, the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated several possible scenarios in which 164 MoistureLoc users nationwide contracted the fungus Fusarium keratitis. Sindt's documents will be used in a lawsuit pending in Highlands County, Fla. (Daily Iowan, IA)
Bausch & Lomb recalls lens solution Mar 7, 2007
Severe eye damageLast May, Bausch & Lomb permanently withdrew its new-formula MoistureLoc multipurpose cleaner from markets around the world when federal regulators called the product the potential root cause of an outbreak of Fusarium keratitis infections ... Lawyers expect several hundred people will seek damages for Fusarium keratitis infections in trials beginning as early as this summer. (MSNBC -- Health)
Bausch & Lomb recalls 1.5 million bottles of ReNu MultiPlus contact lens solution Mar 7, 2007
Last May, Bausch & Lomb permanently withdrew its new-formula MoistureLoc multipurpose cleaner from markets around the world when federal regulators called the product the potential root cause of an outbreak of Fusarium keratitis infections ... Lawyers expect several hundred people will seek damages for Fusarium keratitis infections in trials beginning as early as this summer. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Bausch & Lomb sees 2006 revenue falling below previous guidance on slow recovery Feb 1, 2007
Consumer lawsuits have also been piling up in U.S. courts lawyers now expect 500 to 700 people will seek damages for Fusarium keratitis infections in trials beginning as early as this summer. The lawsuits could wind up costing Bausch & Lomb $1 billion in damages, analyst David Maris estimated last year when he was working with Banc of America Securities. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Tampa ophthalmic company looks to France for eye product Jan 19, 2007
"This product has the potential to advance the medical treatment of herpes simplex keratitis," said C. Stephen Foster, founder and president of , clinical professor of ophthalmology, , in a release. The company hopes to file a new drug application for ganciclovir ophthalmic gel with the by the end of calendar year 2007. (Tampa Bay Business Journal, FL)
