Bausch

New Delhi, Apr 15: Even though Bausch&Lomb has withdrawn its lens cleanser ReNu with MoistureLoc manufactured in the US pending investigation of reports of fungal infections among contact lens users, the company says there will be no impact on other products and in India.

''This action in the US does not apply to other Bausch&Lomb products or to ReNu with MoistureLoc manufactured at factories outside the United States such as India, China and Europe,'' a company release said here today.

It said ReNu with MoistureLoc is manufactured in India under stringent safety standards set and approved by the local health authorities. No other Bausch&Lomb products were affected.

It pointed out that the company was initiating the voluntary and temporary withdrawal of ReNu with MoistureLoc manufactured in the US plant to eliminate any confusion among contact lens wearers there about what to do while the investigation was on about some wearers contracting Fusarium infection while using the product.

Bausch&Lomb India emphasized that no unusual trends of fungal keratitis had been reported within India. All Bausch&Lomb ReNur solutions were manufactured according to local health standards and rigorously tested for biocidal efficacy. The company had extensively tested and retested its ReNu contact lens solutions as well as its manufacturing facilities. No scientific data existed to date to suggest a causal relationship between any Bausch&Lomb products and the infections reported.

Mr. J.P. Singh, Managing Director, Bausch&Lomb (India), said the company was closely monitoring the incidence of the fungal keratitis in other markets where the infections had been reported.

''There are no unusual trends of fungal keratitis that we know of to the best of our knowledge that have been reported in India.

''We will continue to co-operate with the local health authorities and leading experts in the fields of microbiology, epidemiology and ophthalmology in the United States in a multi-pronged, multi-national effort to determine the root cause of the incidences. We want to reassure all our consumers in India that we are taking every possible step to ensure their health and safety.'' The company was continuing to collaborate with the US Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, major eye centres and health authorities in a comprehensive investigation to identify the cause of the reported infections, Mr Singh said.

UNI