While Bausch & Lomb India Pvt. Ltd. claims that its controversial Moisture Loc solution has been voluntarily withdrawn from the market in India as announced on May 19, 2006, many optic outlets and super markets in the country are disposing off the existing stocks as free with Bausch & Lomb's premium brand ReNu MultiPlus, it is learnt.

Enquiries by Pharmabiz with a few optic solution outlets in Mumbai this week revealed that any buyer of 370 ml MultiPlus solution priced Rs.230 would be freely given a Moisture Loc solution of 120 ml bottle worth Rs.165. However, enquiries with Lawrence & Mayo outlets revealed that it has discontinued sales of Moisture Loc solution as the company recalled the product about 'one month ago'.

When contacted, a spokesperson of Bausch & Lomb India Pvt. Ltd. said the company was not aware of such sales happening through its outlets. "Our products are sold through about 15,000 outlets in the country. The recall was started only on Monday and it would take about ten days to withdraw all the products from the market. We have written to all our distribution channels to give back the product. We have also informed the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and various state drug controllers, about the withdrawal. Further, we have carried advertisements and press releases to inform our consumers about the withdrawal," said the source.

However, the source said the company had offered a free scheme of Moisture Loc as an introductory offer along with ReNu Multiplus in December, 2005, as part of its launch in India. Within a few months, Moisture Loc had commanded about 8 per cent of the contact lens solution market in India, the source added.

Sources said until a few weeks ago, Bausch & Lomb India had communicated to many of its dealers and distributors that it was safe to sell Moisture Loc in India as it was produced at its own Biwadi facility in Rajasthan and no case of bacterial infection was reported anywhere in India. The controversy originated due to a few contaminated batches of the solution produced at its South Carolina facility in US and the controversy has nothing to do with the Indian sales. However, with the parent company deciding to withdraw the product worldwide since May 16, the Indian outfit also had to follow suit, said sources.

In India, Bausch & Lomb controls a lion's share of the contact lens cleaning solution market valued about Rs.20-25 crore with over 70-80 per cent of the sales. The other major players in the fray include Allergan's Complete', domestic manufacturer Silk Lens's Aquasoft, Solocare from Novartis, Classic's Classic etc. Globally, Moisture Loc had generated an annual sales of over US $ 100 million in 2005.

Bausch & Lomb was forced to withdraw the product after health authorities in Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States reported that the MoistureLoc formula was used by many of the contact lens wearers treated for a rare eye infection, Fusarium keratitis, which can lead to blindness. Now the company is facing many personal injury lawsuits in US courts for damages caused by usage of the product.