Details of the Advanced Medical Optics Moisture Plus Contact Lens Solution Recall

One of the largest American manufacturers of contact lens cleaning solution, Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) announced in May 2007 that it would voluntarily remove all bottles of its Complete Moisture Plus Contact Lens Solution from store shelves in what would amount to a massive contact lens solution recall. AMO decided to recall the unsafe contact lens solution after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a number of cases of a rare but serious and potentially blinding eye disease associated with the contact lens solution. Users of the contact lens solution are advised to contact a doctor if they experience any of the following symptoms: eye pain or redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, the feeling of something in the eye, or excessive tearing. The disease, Acanthamoeba Keratitis, has been confirmed in 138 patients since the beginning of the outbreak in January 2005, according to the CDC. Of these 138, epidemiologists have been able to interview 46, 21 of whom claimed to have used the AMO Moisture Plus contact lens solution. The disease itself is a keratitis, or an inflammation of the cornea, caused by the presence of the Acanthamoeba parasite. This corneal disease is both serious and difficult to treat, as it is resistant to medication and can lead to loss of sight in the patient. While the agency has been quick to point out the preliminary nature of the link between the corneal disease and the contact lens solution, AMO did not hesitate in instituting the contact lens solution recall, and has advised anyone using the unsafe lens solution to discard all bottles, as well as any lenses or lens cases that may have come in contact with the Moisture Plus lens solution. The Moisture Plus recall is not the first recall conducted by AMO, as the company has had previous issues with contamination of its contact lens solution products. In November 2006, AMO instituted a lens solution recall of 2.9 million units of the same Moisture Plus contact lens solution, after contamination was detected within the production line at a Chinese factory. Though the two lens solutions recalls do not appear related, the repeated contamination concerns related to the company have lead many to wonder about AMO's safety record and their liability in any possible Moisture Plus lawsuit. Though at present no such lawsuit has been announced, anyone with questions should contact an experienced Moisture Plus attorney or a contact lens solution law firm, in order to determine AMO's liability in possible damages resulting from the AMO Complete Moisture Plus recall.