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Alcon maintains its solutions not responsible for fungal keratitis outbreaks
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Alcon has said the company has confirmed that none of the recent outbreaks of fungal keratitis have been linked to its contact lens solutions, a letter to ophthalmologists and optometrists stated.
“It is not known yet whether these unusual outbreaks result from improper use of contact lens solutions by consumers, improper storage of solutions, the efficacy of the specific solution used or some other factor,” Ralph Stone, PhD, director of clinical affairs, said in the letter.
Dr. Stone said Alcon’s Opti-Free Express and Opti-Free RepleniSH MPDS solutions both employ Polyquad and Aldox as the disinfection agents in the formulations. Polyquad has been used in Alcon solutions for more than 20 years and “has been shown over and over to be highly effective in addressing the pathogens that can cause fungal keratitis and other infections,” the letter said.
Dr. Stone said in the letter “to ensure the efficacy of any contact lens solution, it is necessary to reinforce to [a physician’s] patients that they strictly follow the directions for use of their solutions.”