Acanthamoeba Keratitis Lawsuits over AMO Complete MoisturePlus

Over 100 people have filed lawsuits alleging that the recalled AMO Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution caused them to suffer a severe eye infection known as Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

Last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked an outbreak of Acanthamoeba Keratitis to AMO’s Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution, which is an “all-in-one” multipurpose cleaner.

After identifying an increase in the number of people diagnosed with the eye infection that began to surface in 2006, health investigators reviewed data from eye care centers throughout the country. Users of AMO’s Complete MoisturePlus solution have been found to be over 7 times more likely to develop the potentially blinding infection.

In May 2007, AMO issued a Complete MoisturePlus recall and the contact lens solution was pulled from store shelves. At the time of the recall, Complete MoisturePlus had about 10% of the contact lens cleaner market share in the United States.

More than 100 Acanthamoeba Keratitis lawsuits have been filed by users who developed the rare infection after using the contact lens cleaner. Last week, an additional 14 lawsuits were filed in Orange County California Superior Court alleging that the solution failed to properly disinfect, causing users to suffer serious corneal damage.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis is a rare eye infection, which occurs when the Acanthamoeba parasite burrows into the cornea. It typically only occurs in about one or two people for every one million wearers of contact lenses, but Complete MoisturePlus substantially increases the risk.

Potential cases for Acanthamoeba Keratitis associated with AMO Complete MoisturePlus continue to surface since diagnosis of the eye infection is often difficult. Symptoms are similar to other eye diseases and could include excessive tearing, blurred vision, red eyes, eye pain and sensitivity to light. If the infection goes untreated, permanent scarring of the cornea may result, requiring a corneal transplant or surgical eye removal.

The first Acanthamoeba Keratitis lawsuits are scheduled for trial to begin early next year if a settlement or other resolution is not reached before then.