A class action lawsuit has been filed against the makers of Similsan eye drops, saying the drops are not "sterile," as marketed, and allegedly can harm users' vision.
The suit, which was filed in Los Angeles federal court on Sept. 27, alleges that Similsan's eye drops are dangerously defective, for several reasons.
First, the lawsuit claims, the drops are unapproved by the FDA, and therefore allegedly illegal to sell. Second, the company labeled the drops "sterile," but allegedly they are not manufactured using processes to prevent contamination. Third, the drops contain the substance silver sulfate, which the lawsuit asserts can potentially decrease night vision and cause permanent eye and skin discoloration.
Similsan products fail to warn consumers of any of these potential risks, the lawsuit alleges. The company’s products are troublesome from a public health perspective because eye products’ administration poses a greater risk to consumers by bypassing some of the body’s natural defenses. Contaminated eye drops could potentially result in blindness and even death, the lawsuit states.
Two plaintiffs in the suit, Mario Ortega and Kamille Faye Vinluan-Jularbal, claimed they would not have purchased the eyedrops if they had they known these alleged facts about the Similsan eyedrops. They are represented by attorneys from the firm of Dovel & Luner, of Santa Monica.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 5:23-cv-01984