This has to be hurting:

I listened to the investor conference call the other morning, and one thing
B&L and CDC are struggling with is the fact there is no baseline data for
fusarium infections.

One thing that is likely to come out of all this is the removal of the
no-rub claims (and not just for B&L products).  As was pointed out, rubbing
a lens with just sterile saline will pretty much remove most organisms

Naturally, some of the other solution companies have jumped in: Ciba Vision
said in a statement that based on discussions with health authorities in the
U.S. and Asia, it is "confident that our lens-care products have not been
linked to the recently reported cases of fungal keratitis. Additionally, we
have seen no increase in cases of fungal infections in consumers who wear
CIBA Vision lenses." Good news there, you just need to find somewhere to buy
the stuff!

BM

Bausch & Lomb Asks Retailers to Remove U.S.-Manufactured
ReNu® with MoistureLoc® from Shelves; and Recommends Consumers Switch
to Another Solution Pending Investigation of Reports of Fusarium
Infections Among Contact Lens Wearers

FOR RELEASE THURSDAY, April 13, 2006

Rochester, NY --- Bausch & Lomb (NYSE:BOL) today asked U.S. retailers
to remove ReNu® with MoistureLoc® from their shelves temporarily, and
recommended that consumers switch to another lens care solution for the
time being, until the investigation of reports of fungal keratitis
infections among contact lens wearers in the United States is
concluded.  The company initiated the voluntary market withdrawal in
order to eliminate any confusion among contact lens wearers about what
to do while the investigation is ongoing.  Today's action does not
apply to other Bausch & Lomb products or to ReNu with MoistureLoc
manufactured at factories outside the United States.

The company is placing ads in USA Today and regional newspapers on
April 14 and 16 featuring an open letter to consumers from Bausch &
Lomb Chairman and CEO Ron Zarrella explaining the situation and
providing guidance on alternatives.

"For more than 150 years, Bausch & Lomb's mission has been to
enhance your vision," says Zarrella in his letter.  "We find
ourselves in a position where the safety of one of our products, ReNu
with MoistureLoc manufactured at our United States plant, is in
question.  We've done a series of exhaustive tests on the product,
and a thorough inspection of the plant, and nothing has yet been found
to show that ReNu with MoistureLoc contributed to these infections in
any way.  However, in the cases of infections reviewed to date, the
majority of patients reported using ReNu with MoistureLoc manufactured
at our U.S. factory."

Bausch & Lomb continues to collaborate with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, the Centers for Disease control and Prevention, major
eye centers and health authorities in a comprehensive investigation to
identify the cause of the reported infections.

"Bausch & Lomb's first priority is the health and safety of
consumers," said Zarrella in his letter.  "If there is a problem with
our product, we'll find it and we'll fix it.  If there's not,
when we come back you'll be able to know with absolute certainty that
we've taken every possible step to ensure your safety."

Consumers who wish to return their ReNu with MoistureLoc can visit
www.bausch.com or call 1-888-666-2258 to receive a coupon for another
Bausch & Lomb eye care product or to receive their money back.

Bausch & Lomb encourages contact lens wearers to strictly follow the
contact lens wear and care recommendations of their eye care
professionals in order to be sure they continue to enjoy safe and
comfortable contact lens wear.

# # #

it's just not able to protect the contact lense wearer from getting an
infection. Most solutions have certian chemicals in them that help
fight off infection. Hopefully they will have it fixed soon? I have
been using the product for over 3 weeks and have not had a
problem...but I also wash my hands every single time, use a clean case
& always put the cap back on the bottle after I am done. If you do
these steps and switch solutions for the time being it should not be a
huge issue. Right??

In today's paper:   Zarrella forfeited a bonus of at least $1.1
million in 2002 for falsely claiming to have completed a masters
degree from New York University.