David Sell
Abbey Color, Inc., an industrial dye manufacturer in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, was sent a warning letter by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that said the company failed to ensure adequate purity of the water used in drug products including those for eye exams.
Fluorescein is a sterile liquid dye used in eye exams that look at blood flow in the retina and choroid, the two layers in the back of the eye.
Eye drops are put directly in the eye to dilate pupils. With the patient's chin resting in the camera's chin rest, pictures are taken of the eye. Then the fluorescein dye is injected into a vein, usually near the elbow. A second set of pictures is taken as the dye moves through the blood vessels in the back of the eye.
The warning letter said the FDA inspected the facility on East Tioga Street from March 13-23, 2012. The company's reply to the FDA observations was not acceptable, the agency said.
"Your firm uses water in the final purification step of Fluorescein USP, an API [active pharmaceutical ingredient] intended for use in sterile drug products," the letter said. "However, your firm failed to demonstrate that your purified water system can consistently produce water that is suitable for use in the manufacture of this API.
"This is a repeat observation from the July 21-August 8, 2010 inspection. In your response to observations made at the 2010 inspection, your firm promised actions it would take to assure reliable water quality. However, those changes were inadequate, as you continued to get periodic out-of-specification (OOS) endotoxin and total organic carbon (TOC) test results."
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