WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug administration has issued a warning about illegal copycat eye drops that could cause eye infections.
The agency said the South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo eye drops can be easily mistaken for authentic Lumify brand eye drops from Bausch+Lomb. The actual Lumify drops are an over-the-counter product approved for redness relief and sold at major retailers like Target, Walmart and Amazon.
The copycat products aren't approved drugs and shouldn't be available for sale in America. The FDA said the drops falsely claim to treat conditions like glaucoma, which requires prescriptions drugs or surgery.
The FDA said the copycat images are advertised on various websites to look just like Lumify and some may even be falsely labeled with "Bausch+Lomb" at the top of the packaging. The warning said the actual products may look different than advertised.
According to the FDA, it tested samples of South Moon and Rebright eye drops bought online and found the South Moon ones were contaminated with a bacteria that could result in an antibiotic-resistant infection. The agency said both copycats lacked brimonidine tartrate, the active ingredient in Lumify.
While the FDA said it hasn't received any reports specifically naming the South Moon, Rebright or FivFivGo products, it has gotten reports related to possibly fake Lumify drops linked to eye irritation and infection.
The agency urged consumers to throw out any of the copycat eye drops and to only buy eye products from reputable retailers.
This warning comes after a series of recalls last year involving more than two dozen varieties of eye drops.
