China-based startup Zhaoke Ophthalmology has entered into an exclusive license, supply and distribution agreement with Eyedetec Medical, Inc., a leading US-based company specialising in medical devices for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED) and meibomian gland dysfunction.

Under the terms of the agreement, Eyedetec Medical grants Zhaoke Ophthalmology exclusive rights to register, import, promote, distribute, market and sell the Eye Lipid Mobiliser (ELM), a medical device that is designed to treat DED, in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), South Korea and the ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailandand Vietnam).

ELM is a proprietary medical device that is intended to treat moderate to severe DED by stabilising the oil layer of the eye's tear film. The result is decreased tear evaporation and normalised ocular surface. 

Eyedetec Medical is currently preparing for ELM's US FDA premarket submission. Upon clearance in the US, ELM will become the first and only physician-prescribed therapy that treats the root cause of dry eye disease at home. Eyedetec Medical's clinical study conducted in the US in February and March 2022 demonstrated compelling evidence of efficacy of the device, and a human factors study in March 2022 demonstrated that ELM is intuitive and easy for patients to learn and use.