FDA warns of contaminated copycat eye drops

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week warned the public not to buy three tainted brands of copycat eye drops due to the potential risk of infection.

in Announcement made on Wednesdaythe FDA says do not buy or use South Moon, Revrite, or FivFivGo eye drops because these brands are not approved to reduce eye redness and can be mistaken for Bausch & Lomb’s Lumify eye drops. I strongly recommended that.

“South Moon, Revrite, and FivFivGo eye drops are unapproved drugs and should not be sold in the United States,” the agency wrote in a release. “They claim to treat eye diseases such as glaucoma, which is treated with prescription drugs and surgery.”

Upon testing, the FDA found that South Moon’s samples contained Burkholderia cepacia complex, a group of bacteria that can cause antibiotic-resistant infections.

There was no contamination in the librite. However, both Southmoon and Revrite did not contain brimonidine tartrate, the active ingredient in Lumify that is approved by the FDA.

Although the agency was unable to obtain samples of FivFivGo, officials encouraged the public not to purchase or use the product.

The FDA is still investigating the source of unapproved products. According to the FDA, consumers should seek medical attention if they develop symptoms of an eye infection after using counterfeit eye drops. It also warned consumers to be careful when purchasing eye care products online and only buy from licensed pharmacies.

Last November, the FDA warned against the use of 26 eye drop products made by several major brands due to the risk of eye infections that can eventually cause vision loss or blindness.

In February 2023, the administration expanded recommendations for some eye products, claiming that some products can lead to hospitalization and blindness.