What's New in Contact Lenses and Solutions

...continued from What's New in Contact Lenses

You Can "Try On" Colored Contacts at Two New Web Sites

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and ATLANTA, November 2007 — Contact lens wearers interested in knowing how they would look with a change of eye color can now upload their photographs and "try on" different colored contact lenses at Acuvue's iMakeover web site (acuvue.com) and CIBA Vision's FreshLook Color Studio (freshlookcontacts.com). Both web sites were launched in November.

CIBA Vision's site offers color recommendations based on complexion and hair color. At Acuvue's site, 10 color choices are available for eye color simulations. Both sites offer free trial pair certificates for colored contact lenses, along with detailed instructions about how to upload personal photos and try out different eye colors.

FDA Approves New Bausch & Lomb Lens Material for Daily Wear

ROCHESTER, N.Y., September 2007 — The FDA has approved new Bausch & Lomb Boston XO2 contact lens material that company officials say helps maintain health of the eye's surface (cornea).

Compared with the original version of the lens, the Boston XO2 material for daily wear allows 40 percent more oxygen to reach the cornea.

"The introduction of Boston XO2 continues Bausch & Lomb's leadership in gas permeable (GP) technology, and is the only material that combines extraordinary oxygen permeability with the proven performance characteristics of the original Boston XO," said Joe Barr, OD, vice president of Global R&D Vision Care for Bausch & Lomb.

Tap Water May Increase Eye Infection Risks for Contact Lens Wearers

CHICAGO, August 2007 — A study involving University of Illinois at Chicago researchers has found that tap water exposure and poor hygiene among contact lens wearers may have contributed to a recent outbreak of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a rare eye infection causing scarring and blindness.

Earlier this year, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) (now Abbott Medical Optics) withdrew its Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose solution because it failed to stop the amoeba organism from invading the eye's clear surface (cornea). Studies found a strong association between development of Acanthamoeba keratitis and use of this particular contact lens solution.

But researchers commenting in the August issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology said environment also may be a cause, not only in the AK outbreak but also in a previous fungal keratitis outbreak associated with use of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu With MoistureLoc contact lens solution.

Study authors said stricter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations reducing use of disinfectants in water supplies may be an underlying factor. As an example, more microbial agents now found in tap water can invade eyes through water droplets when contact lens wearers are showering.

"…Our results demonstrate that use of AMO Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose solution is strongly associated with AK disease, but they also indicate that its use is not the only risk factor for disease," study authors said. "Continued research is warranted and ongoing to determine additional causes behind this AK outbreak, and to evaluate whether potential shifts in the overall microbial load of the water supply may be contributing to this increase in disease."

Study authors say they conservatively estimate that about 1.65 to 2.01 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis occur per million contact lens wearers in the United States.

AMO Plans Introduction of New Multipurpose Contact Lens Solution

SANTA ANA, Calif., July 2007 — Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) (now Abbott Medical Optics) has announced that a new multipurpose contact lens solution under the Complete brand name will be introduced to the U.S. marketplace during the first half of August, with wide availability expected by early September.

"The new product will focus on comfort and disinfection efficacy, incorporating the importance of proper handling and care of contact lenses, per guidelines set forth by professional eye care associations...," an AMO corporate announcement said.

In late May, AMO voluntarily recalled its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution products because of an association with development of eye infections related to the water-borne Acanthamoeba organism.

Bausch & Lomb Introduces ReNu MultiPlus Travel Kit

Click here for a closeup photo of the ReNu MultiPlus Travel Kit.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 2007 — Bausch & Lomb says contact lens wearers who carry their luggage on planes now can use a ReNu MultiPlus Travel Kit containing a smaller, two-ounce bottle of solution that meets air travel guidelines. The kit also includes a new contact lens carrying case.

"While some personal care products such as hair gel, lotions, or mouthwash can easily be transferred into a smaller container, many people don't realize that contact lens solution loses its sterility if poured from one bottle into a non-sterile, smaller bottle, resulting in serious risks to eye health," said optometrist Dr. Michael DePaolis of Rochester.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has imposed a three-ounce limit per item for liquids taken aboard planes in carry-on luggage. Please click here for a closeup photo of the ReNu MultiPlus Travel Kit.

Eye Infections Prompt AMO To Withdraw
Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solutions

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 2007 — Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) (now Abbott Medical Optics) has voluntarily recalled Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solutions from the marketplace and has advised any consumers in possession of the product to call 1-888-899-9183 for replacement instructions.

The move in late May was prompted by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) findings that associated the product with eye infections caused by the water-borne Acanthamoeba organism.

Soft contact lens wearers should immediately discard all Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solutions.

"While AMO continues to work with the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further assess the data, it is acting with an abundance of caution to voluntarily recall Complete MoisturePlus from the market," a company announcement says. "There is no evidence to suggest that [the] voluntary recall is related to a product contamination issue and this does not impact any of AMO's other contact lens care products."

AMO officials said the CDC has determined that soft contact lens wearers using Complete MoisturePlus solutions had a seven times greater risk of developing Acanthamoeba keratitis, which can cause severe vision loss.

The CDC has interviewed 46 people, most of them soft contact lens wearers, who developed Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) since January 2005. Dozens of cases were reported during that same time period.

If you are a contact lens wearer, you also can decrease your risk of developing Acanthamoeba keratitis by practicing good hygiene and removing lenses before you go swimming.

[Read more about a fungal keratitis outbreak outbreak among contact lens wearers using Bausch & Lomb's ReNu With MoistureLoc contact lens solution.]

Device Notifies Users When It's Time for a Contact Lens Replacement

ST. LOUIS, May 2007 — A newly introduced contact lens device known as LensAlert! includes a flashing display that notifies users when it's time to change lenses and regular cases.

Click here for a closeup of the LensAlert! device and more details on how it works.

A digital timer included with the device allows contact lens wearers to set their own replacement schedule, depending on how frequently lenses and cases need to be changed. Regular contact lens cases fit into the LensAlert! slot, where the digital display showing replacement schedules can be read easily.

Company officials also plan soon to introduce a year's supply of individual contact lens cases integrated with the LensAlert! digital display. LensAlert! company representatives say the new device potentially can help reduce eye infections that sometimes result when contact lens wearers forget to change out lenses and cases on a regular schedule. Please click here for closeup photos of LensAlert! and more details on how it works.

Bausch & Lomb Issues Limited Recall of
ReNu MultiPlus Lens Care Solution

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 2007 — Bausch & Lomb has issued a U.S. recall of about 1 million bottles of ReNu MultiPlus lens care solution because the product has shown elevated levels of trace iron. Affected products were sold about a year ago.

Other bottles of the solution, made at the company's Greenville, S.C. plant, were distributed in Canada, Latin America, Korea, and Taiwan, where recalls also have been issued.

A corporate announcement says no adverse health effects have been associated with the elevated iron levels. But affected contact lens solutions could become discolored and lose effectiveness over time.

Bausch & Lomb officials say consumers likely already used most of the products affected by the limited recall.

In May 2006, Bausch & Lomb was forced to withdraw from the marketplace another contact lens solution, ReNu With MoistureLoc, because of an association with a fungal keratitis outbreak. Bausch & Lomb officials say there is no link between that event and the recent recall of certain bottles of ReNu MultiPlus.

Multifocal Contact Lenses Are Now Available From SynergEyes

CARLSBAD, Calif., March 2007 — SynergEyes now has a multifocal version of the company's hybrid contact lenses, fabricated with soft outer edges for comfort and more rigid centers for better optics.

The SynergEyes Multifocal was designed for people who develop presbyopia beginning at around age 40, when the eye loses its ability to focus at all distances. Multifocal lenses provide different zones of vision correction to enable a full range of sight.

Company officials say the new multifocal lens also provides good centration and stability, which enables consistency of vision in all areas of the field of view.

CooperVision Introduces ClearSight 1-Day Contact Lenses

FAIRPORT, N.Y., February 2007 — CooperVision has introduced a light blue tint, thinner lens design, and water content of 52 percent in its new line of daily disposable contact lenses, known as ClearSight 1-Day.

The lenses also contain ultraviolet (UV) blocker to help protect eyes from the sun's rays, although consumers are advised that eyewear with appropriate UV protection should be worn to fully shield eyes in bright sunlight.

Consumers May Temporarily Find Certain O₂Optix
Contact Lenses in Short Supply

ATLANTA, February 2007 — Company officials say temporary manufacturing issues have caused short supplies of certain O₂Optix contact lenses, which may be on backorder through about mid-2007.

A limited, voluntary trade-level recall issued earlier this year affects inventories of eye care professionals, distributors, and retailers, according to CIBA Vision. Manufacturing processes that contributed to the problem already have been resolved and no safety issues have been identified.