Eye-care products stolen

Basel, Switzerland-Novartis and its Alcon division are working with the FDA, industry cargo thefts organizations, and law enforcement officials to recover products of Novartis, Alcon, and Falcon (a line of generic eye-care pharmaceuticals from the Sandoz division of Novartis) that were stolen on July 18 while being delivered to a customer’s distribution center in Florida.

The stolen nutritional supplements, lens care solutions, and prescription and over-the-counter medications represent a small portion of each product lot, which already have been distributed within the United States, Puerto Rico, and its territories. Products delivered before July 18 were not involved in the theft.

Novartis, Alcon, and the FDA are advising physicians, retailers, and consumers to purchase products only from trusted and reliable sources and to check all products for signs of tampering or damage before purchase and/or use. Products should not be used if the packaging appears to have been disturbed.

A list of the affected products can be found here: http://invest.alconinc.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=130946&p=irol-pressReleasesArticle&ID=1596237&highlight=

Anyone who has information regarding the theft or who has received suspicious or unsolicited offers for the specified products since July 18 should contact the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) at 800/551-3989 or visit the OCI Web site at www.fda.gov/OCI. Patient or customer inquiries should be directed to Novartis Consumer Health Customer Relations at 800/452-0051 or Alcon/Falcon Customer Service at 800/862-5266.