COMPLETE® MPS Easy Rub™ Formula....Whats the active ingredient?

Implications: AMO has come out with a "new" product to be released in Sept 2007. But they have not announced what the key active ingredient is. The active ingredient(disinfectant) can determine where it stands compared to other products available on the market in the US. I list most of the various contact lens care systems available in the US now from Ciba Vision, Allergan, and AMO.

Analysis: As of August 2007 there are three different types of soft contact lens solutions available. There is Renu, Aquify, Optifree and Hydrogen peroxide systems. (Renu and Aquify use the same disinfectant)

Renu with MoistureLoc was called off the market after a rash of fungal keratitis cases. AMO's Complete was called off the market after a number of Acanthamoeba keratitis cases. Only Optifree, Aquify and Hydrogen Peroxide systems have not been called off the market due to concerns with large scale infections of contact lens users eyes.

Renu (with and without MoistureLoc), Aqufiy, and Complete all use the same disinfectant. What is the New Complete disinfectant? Will it be based on the "old" no rub complete, or just be the old "no rub" repackaged to add "please rub"?

It has been rumored that AMO is using a Complete formulation that was/is available in Japan. The new advertising (as listed in the title to this analysis) says that rubbing is required. Will that make a difference in the infection rate?

The announcement a few weeks ago of a new Complete is welcome in my office. I like to have a few different solution choices to discuss with patients.  These include:

Aquify has a very small market share, and the manufacturer, Ciba Vision a subsidiary of Novartis does not give eye care practitioners samples to give patients. I rarely discuss this option.

ClearCare, also by Ciba Vision has been available for sampling to patients for a number of years. It is the most popular Hydrogen Peroxide product on the market, having been changed little from its previous incarnation as AoSept which has large market awareness.

UltraCare, manufactured by AMO has been available to consumers for many years as a Hydrogen Peroxide contact lens care system. I have just recently (the past 2 weeks) gotten some product to dispense to patients in my office. AMO stopped sampling this product a number of years ago. I think they may start sampling it in the near future to compete with ClearCare.

Optifree, is made by Allergan, and is readily available to sample patients. The company has a deal to pay practitioners to give sample to patients if we sample it almost exclusively. It is available in many different formulations, but has the same active ingredient in all of them.

Renu Multiplus has been sold and is available in the US for a number of years. The MoistureLoc version of Renu had an added ingredient to create a more comfortable experience for the contact lens user. However that added ingredient may have created a condition that promotes fungus growth, and was pulled off the market. Renu Multiplus is the previous version. Bausch & Lomb, the manufacturer has made it available for sampling to patients.

There are a few other products with a limited distribution, such as eye care practitioners' offices only. I don't think they have any sizable market share. They include "no rub" all in one solutions, as well a hydrogen peroxide systems.

Where does the new Complete "easy rub" solution fall in the scheme of things? I don't know for now. I have asked a number of representatives from the company to no avail. We will see in a few days.

It has been rumored that Johnson & Johnson's eyecare subsidiary Vistakon will come out with a new contact lens solution in the near future. The sales representatives claim no knowledge of this "new product."