B&L and Alcon participate in NAD forum

NEW YORK — The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc., the advertising industry’s watchdog, has found that Bausch & Lomb Inc. (B&L) presented reasonable justification for specific claims regarding its ReNu with MoistureLoc Multipurpose Solution for soft contact lens, according to an NAD press release. However, NAD also advised that the advertiser cease other claims regarding its product. Alcon Laboratories Inc., the producer of Opti-Free Express, brought the advertiser’s claims to the attention of NAD.

It was determined that B&L provided a reasonable basis for its MoistureLoc label and its reference to a moisture-encased lens in the challenged advertising. NAD also allowed that the advertiser gave sufficient justification to support its claim that its product “kills germs best.”

NAD disagreed, however, with the advertiser’s claim that MoistureLoc “kills germs best to help keep your vision crisp and clear and your eyes healthy.” NAD concluded the evidence provided by the advertisers did not support this claim nor was the evidence conclusive enough to support a 16-hour comfort claim, dramatically better comfort claim or a comparative superiority claim of 16 hours of comfortable wear. Therefore, NAD proposed that these claims be discontinued or altered to reflect the evidence more accurately.

In its statement to NAD, B&L said that it “supports the NAD self-regulatory process and appreciates NAD’s careful and thorough review of the record in this case.” B&L further stated that while it was disappointed with certain aspects of NAD’s decision, it “will address the NAD’s concerns in future advertising” and ‘will continue to make claims which are supported by FDA-cleared labeling and substantial medical evidence regarding the importance of contact lens disinfection to clear vision and healthy eyes,” according to the press release.