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Bausch and Lomb announces another lens solution recall

Eyecare giant Bausch and Lomb, still reeling from a global health scare last year, said on Tuesday it was recalling its "ReNu MultiPlus" contact-lens solution from sale in Taiwan, the US, Latin America, Canada and South Korea.

The US company said it had not heard of any serious adverse reactions but was recalling the solution as a precaution.

It said an elevated level of trace iron used in 12 lots of the solution could discolor it, and so shorten its effective shelf-life.

The recalled lots all carry the expiration date "2008 - 03" on the bottle, but Bausch and Lomb said it believed that "virtually all of the affected product, manufactured about a year ago, has already been used by consumers."

"We are confident we have identified the source of the problem and we are taking appropriate measures designed to avoid a recurrence," said Angela Panzarella, head of the group's global vision care business, in a statement.

"The excess iron content will not directly harm the eyes," said Liu Li-ling (劉麗玲), deputy director of the Department of Health's Bureau of Pharmaceutical Affairs. "However, it might impact the shelf life of the product and reduce its ability to kill germs, making infections more likely."

Liu recommended that consumers inspect their cleaning fluid for warning signs, such as cloudiness or a yellowish tinge.

According to Bausch & Lomb only the 125ml-size distributed to convenience stores and convenience pharmacies are affected by the recall.

"Most of the product has already been sold," said spokeswoman Lu Yen-fang (魯燕芳). "But we think it is important to alert consumers on any quality issues."

Consumers can call 0800-004-088 to exchange any affected products in their possession.

Bausch and Lomb stressed that it did not expect the limited recall to have any "significant impact" on its financial results.

In contrast, the company's bottom line has suffered from last year's health scare, when numerous users of its "ReNu with MoistureLoc" solution were infected with a painful inflammation of the cornea that can lead to blindness.

In a separate announcement, the firm said it expects to report full-year sales of US$2.293 billion for last year, down 3 percent from 2005, "mainly due to lower sales of vision care products."

Additional reporting by Angelica Oung
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