x
Breaking News
More () »

FDA warns of contaminated copycat eye drops

The agency warned that the copycat eye drops can easily be mistaken for real Lumify brand drops from Bausch+Lomb.
Credit: FDA via TEGNA
The FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or use South Moon, Rebright or FivFivGo eye drops because of the potential risk of eye infection.

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.

Credit: FDA via TEGNA
The FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or use South Moon, Rebright or FivFivGo eye drops because of the potential risk of eye infection.

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. 

Credit: FDA
This is a photo of authentic Bausch + Lomb’s Lumify brand eye drops. The FDA warned there are copycats being sold that aren't approved in the U.S.

This warning comes after a series of recalls last year involving more than two dozen varieties of eye drops

Before You Leave, Check This Out