August 20, 2007, 10:45:00AM. By Tony G

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Chicago, IL: May 2004: Bausch & Lomb's contact lens solution, ReNu with MoistureLoc, wins approval from the Food and Drug Administration. It will make its market debut later in the year.

July 2005: Hong Kong Hospital Authority eye specialists express concern about so many patients suffering from Fusarium keratitis. People there are alerted about a recent outbreak of four cases of Fusarium keratitis, although there is no mention of Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc.

October 2005: Health officials in Hong Kong tell Bausch & Lomb about a possible link between the outbreak of Fusarium keratitis and ReNu with MoistureLoc. Bausch & Lomb withholds this information from the FDA.

November 2005: Hong Kong health officials tell Bausch & Lomb about another surge in hospital admissions among contact lens wearers suffering from Fusarium keratitis symptoms.

February 2006: Bausch & Lomb halts sales of ReNu with MoistureLoc in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore after 29 cases of Fusarium keratitis are found there since November 2005.

March 2006: Dr. David Chu, a New Jersey ophthalmologist, tells Bausch & Lomb that he has seen three cases of Fusarium keratitis within the last three months. When the company fails to notify the CDC within five days, Dr. Chu does so. An investigation in the U.S. begins.

March 2006: The FDA inspects Bausch & Lomb's plant in Greenville, South Carolina.

April 2006: Bausch & Lomb stops shipping ReNu with MoistureLoc to U.S. stores. However, it says they may continue to sell existing product until supplies run out.

April 2006: Bausch & Lomb issues a ReNu recall in the United States. Several pharmacy chains, including CVS, Walgreen's and WalMart, have already taken ReNu with MoistureLoc off their shelves.

April 2006: A personal injury ReNu lawsuit is filed in federal district court in Miami. Many more will follow.

May 2006: A worldwide ReNu recall is announced by Bausch & Lomb.

May 2006: A report critical of Bausch & Lomb's failure to adhere to regulations is issued by the FDA.

August 2006: The Journal of the American Medical Association publishes the results of an investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It draws a conclusive link between the outbreak of Fusarium keratitis and use of ReNu with MoistureLoc.

June 2006: According to legal experts, the damages facing Bausch & Lomb over ReNu with MoistureLoc range from $500 million to $1 billion.

March 2007: Bausch & Lomb issues a voluntary recall of a different contact lens product, ReNu Multiplus, which has been found to contain trace amounts of iron. Like ReNu with MoistureLoc, it is manufactured in Greenville, South Carolina. All concerned agree the iron could cause the solution to have a short shelf life.

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