NEW YORK, May 4, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Parker & Waichman, LLP (www.yourlawyer.com) and Wexler Toriseva Wallace LLP announced that they have filed suit on behalf of a woman who became permanently blind in her left eye after using ReNu with MoistureLoc(tm) lens solution, manufactured by Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (NYSE:BOL). The damage to the left eye occurred after the woman was diagnosed with Fusarium keratitis. The suit was filed last week in Mason County Circuit Court in West Virginia (Civil Action No: 06-C-63-E). For more information on ReNu with MoistureLoc(tm) please visit www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/renu_contact_solution/ or www.renulawsuit.com
On April 13, 2006, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. advised consumers to switch to another lens care solution and asked all retailers to remove ReNu with MoistureLoc(tm) from their shelves. This action came after the FDA and the CDC issued public health warnings on April 10, 2006, concerning serious fungal infections associated with contact lens solution use. The CDC stated that it had interviewed 30 patients suspected of having fungal keratitis. Of those 30 patients, 28 wore soft contact lenses, and 26 used Bausch & Lomb ReNu contact lens solution in the month prior to the fungal infection diagnosis.
In this case, the injured woman, who resides in West Virginia, was diagnosed with a Fusarium fungal infection in her left eye after using ReNu with MoistureLoc(tm). Various medical and surgical treatments were attempted but proved unsuccessful. As a result, the injured party is now permanently blind in her left eye and wears an ocular shell. Parker & Waichman, LLP has been retained by numerous individuals diagnosed with Fusarium keratitis and other fungal infections who suffer from impaired vision as a result of damage to their eyes caused by the infection.
Fusarium keratitis is a severe infection of the cornea. Risk factors for infection usually include trauma (generally with plant material), chronic ocular surface diseases, immunodeficiencies, and, rarely, contact lens use. An estimated 30 million persons in the United States wear soft contact lenses; the annual incidence of microbial keratitis is estimated to be 4-21 per 10,000 soft contact lens users. Fusarium keratitis is a condition more prevalent in warm climates. First-line treatment includes topical and oral antifungal medications; patients who do not respond to these treatments usually require surgical intervention, including corneal transplantation. These fungal infections are not transmitted from person to person.
About Parker & Waichman, LLP
Parker & Waichman, LLP is a leading products liability and personal injury law firm that represents plaintiffs nationwide. The firm has offices in New York and New Jersey. Parker & Waichman, LLP has assisted thousands of clients in receiving fair compensation for injuries resulting from defective medications and medical devices. Parker & Waichman, LLP was the first law firm nationwide to file a class action on behalf of victims of ReNu with MoistureLoc. The class action seeks, among other remedies, a medical monitoring fund to enable consumers to obtain medical screening and treatment services. For more information on Parker & Waichman, LLP please visit: www.yourlawyer.com or call (800) LAW-INFO ((800) 529-4636).
More information on this and other class actions can be found on the Class Action Newsline at www.primezone.com/ca