It's claimed a contact lens solution produced by Bausch & Lomb caused eye infections in almost 80 Chinese citizens and they plan to sue the company in the United States.
They believe they contracted fungal keratitis, which can lead to blindness, after using the ReNu MoistureLoc Multi Purpose Solution.
Hao Junbo, the group's lawyer, told China Daily yesterday that less than 10 people had so far provided sufficient evidence to back up the claims. "I've sent full medical documents of three infections to my partner in the United States," he said yesterday.
Sources with Bausch & Lomb China said they would not comment on the cases until they had been processed, China Business News previously reported.
Hao said he believed the company made a mistake by not informing Chinese consumers of a quality problem after it recalled the eye product in Singapore in February. Where exactly to sue the US company had not yet been decided, he added.
"To sue Bausch & Lomb in New York State, where its headquarters are located, is a possibility," Hao said. "But we're also considering suing the company in a state where higher compensation is likely," he added. A date has yet to be fixed to file the lawsuit, he said.
In the US the number of confirmed cases of the rare fungal eye infection which can cause blindness has climbed to 122. The majority are contact-lens wearers who reported using Bausch & Lomb's ReNu MoistureLoc Multi Purpose Solution, US authorities said in May.
It's believed that some American consumers have brought lawsuits against Bausch & Lomb for compensation. No judgments have been reported as yet.
Reports in April said that Bausch & Lomb found no eye infections in China linked to the cleaning solution. Company chief executive Ronald Zarrella said that in China the solution was made locally and not imported from the US.
(China Daily July 11, 2006)