FDA Warns Consumers of Contaminated Copycat Versions of Lumify 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.

Comparison of authentic Lumify with copycat products

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.

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:

• Complete and submit the report online at MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form or
• Download and complete the form, then submit it via fax at 1-800-FDA-0178.