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FDA Asks Similasan to Drop Two Brands

on November 21st, 2005 | Filed under Optoblog

I commented in August about the preposterous claim that a Similasan eye drop could improve cataracts (or its symptoms). The FDA apparently sent Similasan a letter basically asking them to drop Cataract and Pink Eye drops since an average consumer can’t be trusted to make a correct diagnosis; therefore, the treatment shouldn’t be available over the counter. Kind of like it you experience rectal bleeding, there shouldn’t be an over-the-counter treatment available since it could be cancer, or it could just be the fact that you ate 2 pounds of almonds the night before.

I got the news from Contact Lenses Today e-mail newsletter. I suggest that everyone subscribe. (My only complaint is that it doesn’t offer an RSS feed.) Here is the transcript of the news regarding Similasan:

FDA Sends Warning Letter to Similasan
Last week’s CLToday included news on Similasan’s Cataract Care eye drops (See, Natural Relief for Cataracts, Nov. 23). It has been brought to our attention that the FDA sent a warning letter to the company in August of this year, after review of the company’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Switzerland. The letter details problems with the plant’s equipment, control procedures and labeling for some products, including Cataract Care. The letter states, “Similasan Pink Eye Relief eye drops and Similasan Cataract Care eye drops are misbranded … The conditions for which they are offered are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners.” The FDA also says because patients can’t distinguish symptoms of cataracts from symptoms of other serious disorders, OTC treatment is inappropriate.

By the way, I believe you pronounce Similisan the Japanese way, not the red neck way. “Sim-IL-i-sahn” not “Simil-ASS-an.” Imagine how Miyagi would have pronounced the Karate Kid’s name if he was Simil instead of Daniel.

2 Comments

2 Responses to “FDA Asks Similasan to Drop Two Brands”

  1. I just saw a “brought to you by:” commercial after Jeopardy, and they did, in fact, pronounce it “suh-MILL-uh-san”.

    For weird irony, Mr. Miagi (Pat Morita) passed away last week…

  2. David Langford says:

    Thanks Josh for your more clear way of phonetically spelling Similasan. When I heard Pat Morita died, I thought, how weird, I just mentioned him in my blog. How atypical.