FDA Investigates Cargo Theft of Contact Lenses and Seeks Information Related to Theft

February 9, 2012 10:55 AM

Nearly 800 packs of Ciba Vision contact lenses from three lots were stolen in a cargo theft that occurred on or about January 9, 2012, when the shipment was en route to an Alcon distribution center in Georgia. Alcon is working with FDA and law enforcement to recover the shipment, which consisted of FreshLook^®-ColorBlends^® contact lenses. An FDA notification indicates that the following products were in the stolen shipment:

• Ciba Vision, Fresh Look-ColorBlends, MED 145 -01.00 GRAY (6 lenses per pack) 
  Lot/Batch: 20381261; Quantity Stolen: 65 Packs totaling 390 Lenses
• Ciba Vision, Fresh Look-ColorBlends, MED 145 -02.50 GRAY (6 lenses per pack) 
  Lot/Batch: 20381452; Quantity Stolen: 240 Packs totaling 1,440 Lenses
• Ciba Vision, Fresh Look-ColorBlends, UV, 860 145 -00.00 GRAY (2 lenses per pack) 
  Lot/Batch: 20381952; Quantity Stolen: 480 Packs totaling 960 Lenses

Also, FDA notes that no product with the same lot number has been previously distributed. More information is available in the FDA notification.

Alcon and the FDA are advising health care providers, retailers, and consumers to purchase contact lenses only from trusted and reliable sources and to check all packaging for signs of tampering or damage prior to purchase and/or use. Consumers should not use the product if the packaging appears to have been disturbed in any way, advises FDA. Stolen product may become contaminated, not function as intended, or may have been tampered with or handled improperly while outside of the legitimate supply chain.

Anyone who has information regarding this incident, or has received suspicious or unsolicited offers for the specified products, is encouraged to contact the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) at 800/551-3989 or to make a report using the online form on the OCI Web Site.