Lens Solution Off Shelves Over Infection Scare
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan – Several opticians selling Bausch & Lomb's ReNu multipurpose solution in the country removed the product from their shelves and suspended the sale following the recent increase in fungal eye infection among contact lens users in Singapore.

One of the outlets said it is not selling the product since the news broke out last week.

A manager of a shop said he was waiting for further instructions from the supplier.

"We are keeping an eye on this matter," he said, adding that products sold in Brunei mostly come from Malaysia.

However, some opticians are unaware of what's happening in Singapore, while at least three outlets said they are not selling the product.

The solution's US manufacturer said Monday it began testing retained samples from the affected batches after Singapore health authorities notified it of a possible link between its product and an increase in fungal corneal infections, The Straits Times reported.

The company routinely retains samples of its products for batch testing when complaints rise. The company declined to reveal how many batches were affected and how many bottles each contained.

Meanwhile, another vendor in Brunei said the multipurpose solution can't be blamed solely for causing the eye infection and could also be due to poor hygiene on the part of the contact lens users. Brunei's Ministry of Health, when contacted yesterday, said it would look into this matter.

Channelnewsasia reported on Monday that Singapore's Health Ministry has advised contact lens users to stop using the Bausch and Lomb's ReNu multi-purpose contact lens solution for the time being as a precautionary measure.

This is until the causes of the recent increase in fungal eye infections among contact lens users can be more clearly ascertained. Investigations it conducted together with the Health Sciences Authority and the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) revealed 18 of the 19 patients reported by the SNEC had used the product.

The findings also showed all 18 patients used disposable contact lenses. These lenses ranged from daily disposable lens to monthly disposable lens and came from a variety of manufacturers. The Singapore ministry said that in view of the potentially serious visual consequences of fungal corneal infection, it would be prudent for contact lens users to discontinue using the solution for the time being.

It said further investigations are under way to establish the cause of the infection. A Bausch and Lomb official said ReNu was subject to stringent checks in the US, and that the solution worked better against the particular fungus than other brands.

Bausch and Lomb had suspended the sale of ReNu products since last Friday to facilitate ongoing investigations.

However, it said there was no legal or medical justification for the sales suspension because there was inconclusive scientific evidence to support the fact that it was indeed the cause of the eye infections. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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