Indian company halts production of eye drops after alleged link to death in US

The Chennai-based pharmaceutical company has stopped the production of its eye drops for the time being. The use of this eye drop has allegedly resulted in the loss of eyesight of many people in America and the death of some. After such alleged claims being made by the US, earlier the company had decided to withdraw the consignment of this medicine, but now news is coming that the company has stopped the production of this medicine as well.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is testing unopened bottles of Azricare Artificial Tears eye drops manufactured by Chennai-based Global Pharma Healthcare. At the same time, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it is going to stop importing the products of this company for the time being.

According to the US Health Protection Agency, the FDA is advising consumers and health care practitioners to refrain from purchasing Azricare Artificial Tear and Delsum Pharma's Artificial Tear due to possible bacterial contamination. Due to the use of these medicines, along with eye infection, blindness and even death can also occur.

US doctors have been alerted to a bacterium named Pseudomonas aruginosa, which has affected at least 55 people in a dozen states and caused at least one death. A spokeswoman for the CDC said that so far, at least five of the 11 patients who have had direct eye infections have lost their vision. Insider.com reported that Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause infections in the blood, lungs or wounds, and the pathogen is proving difficult to treat in recent times due to antibiotic resistance.