Aug 31 2010
TearLab Corporation (Nasdaq:TEAR) (TSX:TLB) today announced that it has entered into a cooperative marketing agreement with Abbott Medical Optics Inc.'s subsidiary, AMO Canada Company ("AMO Canada"). Under the agreement, AMO Canada's sales force will directly sell the TearLab™ Osmolarity System in Canada while TearLab will help promote AMO Canada's products for the relief of dry eye symptoms, including Blink® Moisturizing Eye Drops. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Dry Eye Disease ("DED") is a common condition affecting approximately 100 million people worldwide. In its mild to moderate forms, it can reduce the quality of vision and the ability to go about daily activities. In its more severe forms, DED can lead to permanent loss of vision. According to numerous peer-reviewed studies, Tear Osmolarity is the single best test for the diagnosis of DED.
The TearLab Osmolarity System is intended to measure the osmolarity of human tears to aid in the diagnosis of DED in conjunction with other methods of clinical evaluation. Using a novel lab-on-a-chip approach, the TearLab System requires less than 50 nL (nanoliters) of tear fluid and displays quantitative osmolarity results in less than 30 seconds. By requiring such a small amount of tears, the TearLab System eliminates the challenges that previously prevented point-of-care osmolarity testing. In addition, it is simple enough to be operated by a technician, greatly improving patient throughput either in an office or center setting.
"We are proud to be working with a world-leading organization like AMO and are confident that, with their support, sales traction of the TearLab Osmolarity System will continue to build in Canada," said Elias Vamvakas, TearLab's Chief Executive Officer.
SOURCE TearLab Corporation