Advanced Medical Optic's CEO Blames Consumers, Not Complete MoisturePlus, For Increasing Risk of Parasitic Infection

Implications: Similar to Bausch & Lomb's reaction to last year's ReNu with MoistureLoc's recall, AMO's CEO has blamed their consumers' poor contact lens hygiene habits for Complete MoisturePlus' recent problems with Acanthamoebic Keratitis.  Is there any truth to this statement, or is he just deflecting blame away from himself?

Analysis: There is definitely truth to the statement that poor contact lens hygiene causes an increased risk of infection, no matter what contact lens solution you use.  This has been true for a long time, and it's something I tell my patients each time I see them.  However, the fact that AMO's CEO, James Mazzo, is blaming consumers for this new outbreak of Acanthamoebic keratitis, a very rare condition, seems ridiculous.  The tone of the article suggests that the author agrees with my assessment.

There is scientific evidence that proves that consumers who use Complete MoisturePlus are 7 times more likely to contract this potentially vision threatening disease, than any other contact lens solution.  So there has to be something in MoisturePlus' chemistry that is making the conditions favorable for Acanthamoeba to thrive.  Now, if AMO has not changed its formula recently, and to my knowledge they haven't, the big question is 'What conditions have changed in the past year or so that have caused these infections to happen?"

Is there something different in the water, where the Acanthamoeba live?  Possibly.  Has there been any contamination anywhere along the production process?  Not according to Mazzo.  Have contact lens patients being less hygienic with their contacts?  Doubtful.  If anything, I would say my patients are being more careful, thanks to the ReNu recall last year.  Hopefully, they'll be able to determine what actually caused these infections, so that they can prevent them from happening again.

Going back to my original question about Mazzo's laying the blame on consumers' poor hygiene vs. deflecting blame.  I don't think the poor hygiene argument holds any water.  In my opinion, it seems like a very petty attempt to deflect blame away from himself and his company.  And it will definitely make me think twice about dispensing any new solution they develop to replace MoisturePlus.