Easy Rub at centre of US court action

Advanced Medical Optics has been named as the defendant in a consumer fraud and false advertising class action suit in a Californian court.

Maria Ruiz versus AMO was filed at the end of December. Ruiz's legal representatives said that she brought the complaint on her behalf and for all consumers who purchased the Easy Rub solution in California.

The class action alleges that in August 2007 AMO launched the Easy Rub product as a replacement for its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution, which it had been forced to recall on a global basis in May 2007. It is alleged that AMO advertised the Easy Rub formula as 'new' and 'unique' when the product was launched in the market in late 2007. However, Ruiz allegedthat Easy Rub actually contained an old formula which AMO had been using for years to manufacture a private label solution for retail giant Costco under its Kirkland brand.