EyeMist Medical Achieves 90% Client Acquisition Success with Integrated Ocular Nebulization Therapy Solution

Dry Eye Disease, Glaucoma, Cataracts... As the window to the soul, the eyes continue to face challenges from numerous diseases.

According to the “14th Five-Year National Eye Health Plan (2021–2025)” released by the National Health Commission, China remains one of the countries with the highest number of blind and visually impaired individuals worldwide. The leading causes of blindness are primarily eye diseases such as cataracts, myopic retinopathy, glaucoma, corneal diseases, and diabetic retinopathy.

Among these, dry eye disease is emerging as another major national health concern following myopia. According to the "Big Data Report on Dry Eye in China from a Multicenter Study," there are currently approximately 360 million patients with dry eye disease in China, and the number of affected individuals is increasing at an annual rate of over 10%.

As a chronic ocular surface disease, dry eye is currently treated primarily with pharmacotherapy. However, the prevailing methods of administration are eye drops and ophthalmic ointments. While eye drops offer convenience, they suffer from low drug bioavailability. In contrast, although ophthalmic ointments provide sustained therapeutic effects and reduce dosing frequency, they are commonly associated with drawbacks such as a greasy sensation and blurred vision.

To optimize therapeutic efficacy, healthcare professionals are continuously exploring alternative routes of drug administration. Ocular nebulization, which delivers medication locally to the eye in the form of fine particles, minimizes the risk of systemic adverse effects and offers a longer duration of action compared to traditional eye drops. Consequently, it has gradually become a common modality for treating dry eye disease. Recently, VCBeat engaged with Suzhou Yanwu Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yanwu Medical”), a company dedicated to building a closed-loop system integrating nebulization solutions, medical devices, and consumables.

In recent years, driven by factors such as population aging, changes in lifestyle habits, and increased frequency of electronic device usage, the number of eye disease patients in China has continued to grow, with the associated burden becoming increasingly prominent. It was in response to this trend that Zhao Siyuan, founder of Yanwu Medical, chose to dedicate himself to the field of eye health.

Like many founders in the healthcare industry, Zhao Siyuan has experienced a career path that progressed from sales and agency work to entrepreneurship. It is understood that prior to founding Yanwu Medical, Zhao Siyuan worked at multiple pharmaceutical companies, advancing from entry-level positions to senior executive roles. He accumulated over 10 years of sales experience and also gained substantial expertise in the development and screening of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products.

Perhaps due to the business acumen honed over years in sales, Zhao Siyuan began shifting his focus to the eye health sector after noticing a rising frequency of eye drop use among people around him. Upon learning that most eye diseases suffer from drug scarcity and suboptimal delivery methods, Zhao decided to lead his team in concentrating on the research and development of ophthalmic drugs and delivery solutions, officially establishing Yanwu Medical this year.

After defining the field, to ensure smooth product development, the Yanwu team also brought together professionals from ophthalmology and applied chemistry. It is reported that members of Yanwu Medical’s R&D team have nearly 20 years of industry experience in the separation and analysis of active ingredients from natural products, have repeatedly led and supervised research projects, and published approximately 30 papers, thereby safeguarding product development.

In terms of expertise, Yanwu Medical has currently engaged renowned experts and scholars in the field of dry eye disease as advisors to guide the clinical implementation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and treatment protocols for dry eye disease, and has collaborated with multiple hospitals to jointly establish dry eye clinics.

Dry eye disease, as one of the most prevalent ocular conditions in China, is primarily caused by tear film instability and ocular surface damage resulting from abnormalities in tear volume, quality, or fluid dynamics, leading to ocular discomfort and visual dysfunction. Generally, dry eye disease can be classified into evaporative, aqueous-deficient, and mucin-deficient types, with evaporative dry eye accounting for a significantly larger proportion than the other two types.

In terms of specific treatment, since meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the primary cause of evaporative dry eye, treating MGD is also regarded as an effective approach to managing dry eye disease.

Current treatments for meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), in addition to traditional physical therapies such as warm compresses and eyelid massage, include the use of artificial tears as an effective approach to alleviate dry eye symptoms. However, artificial tears are typically administered via eye drops in clinical practice; due to rapid blinking and tear secretion within the conjunctival sac, the bioavailability of drop-formulated medications is relatively low. In contrast, nebulized drug delivery can effectively address this limitation.

It is reported that the ocular nebulization therapy device developed by Yanwu Medical utilizes ultrasonic technology to atomize eye drops into a fine mist, ensuring uniform coverage of the medication across the ocular surface. Coupled with a controlled oxygen-rich environment and heating elements, this approach not only significantly enhances drug utilization efficiency but also improves the therapeutic efficacy of the medication delivered to the eyes.

Given the high frequency of medication administration required by most dry eye patients, repeated long-term visits to hospitals and pharmacies impose additional time costs on patients. Therefore, Yanwu Medical has also developed a portable ocular nebulizer. Unlike the original desktop ocular nebulization therapy device, this portable nebulization therapy device is based on the mesh nebulization principle, which atomizes the liquid medication through a vibrating mesh. Although the nebulization mechanism differs, it similarly achieves a significant improvement in drug utilization efficiency.

In addition to nebulization devices, nebulization solutions and ophthalmic consumables are also key components of Yanwu Medical’s current product portfolio. Yanwu Medical has launched its independently developed Runjinglu nebulization solution, while other products developed by its team, including medical eye masks, ocular drug delivery devices, and heating eye patches, have also been introduced to the market. With these offerings, Yanwu Medical has successfully established a closed-loop product ecosystem comprising “nebulization solutions + devices + consumables.”

To ensure the product’s successful market entry and to formulate more effective sales strategies, the Yanwu Medical team began promoting its dry eye disease products in the OTC market as early as February 2021, conducting a one-year offline ground-promotion pilot in Jiangsu Province with a focus on developing B-end clients such as pharmacies and optical stores.

During this period, Yanwu Medical successfully established partnerships with 16 large-scale pharmacy chains, 28 mid-sized pharmacy chains, and optical stores in Jiangsu Province, achieving a customer acquisition success rate of 90% and generating sales revenue of RMB 12 million.

With market operations steadily advancing, Yanwu Medical has also laid out a clear roadmap for its future development.

In terms of product technology, in addition to the existing ultrasonic nebulization and mesh nebulization technologies, pulsed nebulization technology is also a direction that ophthalmic mist therapy will choose in the future.

Meanwhile, to support the market promotion of its nebulization products, Yanwu Medical is planning to collaborate with relevant industry enterprises to jointly establish the retail clinic brand “Huawu – Digital Oxygen Nebulization Clinic Chain.” This initiative aims to achieve nationwide product coverage through franchising, enabling rapid expansion into communities and reaching a broader base of patients and consumers.

In this process, Yanwu Medical also looks forward to welcoming more high-quality R&D and marketing operations talent to join the team, jointly promoting brand building and bringing nebulized health solutions to a broader population.