FDA warns against Copycat Lumify Bausch Lomb’s Lumify brand eye drops

FDA is warning consumers not to purchase or use South Moon, Rebright, or FivFivGo eye drops because of the potential risk of eye infection. These are copycat eye drops that consumers can easily mistake for Bausch + Lomb’s Lumify brand eye drops, an over-the-counter product approved for redness relief, according to the FDA.

South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo eye drops are unapproved drugs and should not be available for sale in the US. They claim to treat eye conditions such as glaucoma, which is treated with prescription drugs or surgery.

Patients who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should talk to their health care provider or seek medical care immediately. FDA recommends consumers properly discard these products.

The agency said it tested samples of South Moon and Rebright drops, purchased online. The South Moon eye drops were contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia complex, a group of bacteria that could result in an antibiotic-resistant infection. While Rebright testing was negative for contamination, FDA still recommends consumers not use this product.

FDA testing of the Rebright and South Moon eye drops also found that these copycat products lacked brimonidine tartrate, the active ingredient in Lumify. FDA was unable to obtain FivFivGo samples.

The origin of these products is currently unclear, and FDA continues to investigate. South Moon is labeled as made by Shantou Cross-border Premium Products E-Commerce Co. Ltd. in China.

The FDA said it has not received any adverse event reports that specifically name the South Moon, Rebright or FivFivGo products. However, the agency has received reports related to possibly fake Lumify, including product quality concerns, eye irritation, pain and infection.

The agency recommends consumers only buy eye products from reputable retailers such as state-licensed pharmacies and beware of online retailers selling products with false claims.

What You Should Know about Eye Drops

Eye drops bypass some of the body’s natural defenses, posing a heightened risk of harm to users

Consumer Tips

• Wash your hands before using eye drops, and do not touch the tip of the bottle to your hands, your eyes, your clothing, or any surface area.
• Stop using eye drops if you experience any issue while using your eye products, such as discharge from the eye, pain or discomfort.
• If you experience any unexpected side effects while using eye drops, talk to your doctor and report them to FDA.
• Do not use ophthalmic products that:
  • Are marketed as OTC products to treat serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinopathy or macular degeneration. There are no OTC treatments for these conditions.
  • Are labeled as homeopathic, as these products should not be marketed.  
• Some unapproved products contain ingredients that are not appropriate for use in the eye, such as:
  • Silver sulfate or argentum, which can permanently change the white color of your eyes.
  • Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) as an active ingredient. These products are unapproved drugs and illegally marketed in the U.S. There are no legally marketed ophthalmic drugs that contain MSM as an active ingredient.
• Carefully review the label of your eye products to ensure the product does not include these ingredients.
• Review the eye drops safety issues below, and check if your eye drops are part of a warning or recall.
• Talk to a health care professional about safe and effective treatments for your eye condition.

Comparison of authentic Lumify with copycat products

What are Copycat Lumify Bausch Lomb’s Lumify brand eye drops:South Moon, Rebright, or FivFivGo eye drops

The South Moon, Rebright and FivFivGo photos are examples of the images that appear on various websites. Some of these copycat products may be falsely labeled with “Bausch + Lomb” at the top of the packaging. The actual products may look different.

Original Lumify

Health care professionals and consumers should report adverse events or side effects related to the use of this product to FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

News source- FDA

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FDA warns against Copycat Lumify Bausch Lomb’s Lumify eye drops.