Johnson & Johnson Recalls Contacts

Johnson & Johnson is recalling nearly 500,000 boxes of contacts after wearers complained of stinging or pain in their eyes because of residual traces of an acid on the lenses, according to a news report.

The recall affects about 492,000 boxes of 1-Day Acuvue TruEye for the presence of decanoic acid. The acid is used in the manufacturing process but is supposed to be rinsed away from the final product. Some of the acid, however, may still be present on the lenses.

Symptoms of the acid include tingling, pain, redness, tearing and blurred vision when the lens is placed on the eye. More serious health consequences such as corneal ulcer are unlikely, according to news reports.

Less than 1 percent of all contact lenses made worldwide by J&J are affected by the lens recall, the company said. About 75 percent of the recalled products were distributed in Japan.

As a North Charleston personal injury lawyer I’m glad to hear the problem only affects a small number of the lenses, but it’s important Johnson & Johnson fix this issue so it doesn’t occur in the future. In the past year, the health conglomerate has announced a series of recalls of over-the-counter medicines including Tylenol and Benadryl due to quality problems such as musty odors and excessive concentrations of active ingredients. In addition, the company has recalled hip-replacement parts and some batches of cancer drug Velcade.