Barrett Johnston & Parsley Announces Investigation of Bausch & Lomb, Inc. Renu with MoistureLoc Related Fusarium Infections Causing Blindness Claims - 8/24/2006

Barrett, Johnston & Parsley Announces Investigation of Bausch & Lomb, Inc. ReNu With MoistureLoc Related Blindness Claims

NASHVILLE, TN — August 23, 2006 – In light of a new case-control study reported today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Law Firm of Barrett, Johnston & Parsley announced today that it is investigating claims against Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (NYSE:BOL) for eye-related injuries, including reports of varying degrees of blindness.

For months, Bausch & Lomb has argued that a major factor in outbreaks related to its ReNu with MoistureLoc product was customers’ failure to properly clean their lenses and regularly replace the storage solution. However, according to a recent study reported today in the JAMA, the improper lens hygiene practices alone are not enough to explain the recent rash of cases of fusarium keratitis. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher Benjamin Park, a senior author of the report who has studied the outbreak since the first reports of the infection in the United States in early March, “It definitely was not poor contact lens hygiene alone.” Several CDC researchers led the investigation, which was entirely government funded.

Due to this new study, attorneys at Barrett, Johnston & Parsley have launched an investigation into potential claims against Bausch & Lomb for eye-related injuries, including reports of varying degrees of blindness. In launching this investigation, Jerry Martin, an attorney with Barrett, Johnston & Parsley, warned consumers, “If you or anyone you know has used Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu Contact Lens Solution and has suffered any kind of eye injury from fungal keratitis, you should contact an eye specialist, as the fungus must be treated with anti-fungal medication immediately, and then seek legal advice.”

ReNu with MoistureLoc, a popular product of Bausch & Lomb, is used for daily cleaning and disinfection of contact lenses. The potential link between Bausch’s products and fusarium infections was first reported in Asia last year when health authorities in Singapore and Hong Kong noticed a surge in infections among wearers of soft contact lenses. MoistureLoc, which Bausch first introduced in the fall of 2004, was removed from several Asian markets in February this year. Bausch began receiving reports of cases in the United States in March, including some among lens users in northern states where fusarium infections are extremely rare. In April 2006, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. halted shipments and asked retailers in the United States to remove ReNu with MoistureLoc from shelves after the product was linked to reports of fusarium keratitis.

For Immediate Contact:

David Garrison
Telephone: 615-714-7953
dgarrison@barrettjohnston.com

Jerry Martin
Telephone: 615-406-8872
jmartin@barrettjohnston.com