BioTissue® Launches Website to Educate on Long-Lasting Solution for Mechanical Dry Eye (MDE), aka Conjunctivochalasis (CCh)

Solution addresses the root cause of mechanical dry eye to help restore normal tear function

Miami, FL – November 12, 2019 – BioTissue, Inc., a TissueTech, Inc. company and leader in the clinical application of amniotic membrane and umbilical cord-based products for unmet patient needs, announced today the launch of an educational website, www.DiscoverMDE.com , on Mechanical Dry Eye, MDE, also sometimes referred to as Conjunctivochalasis (CCh). The website features educational information, videos, testimonials and other resources for both patients and health care providers.

Mechanical Dry Eye is an age-related disorder, often found in individuals over 60 years of age. It represents one of the most common age-related eye diseases and is characterized by the presence of redundant folds of the conjunctiva that typically are detected between the eyeball and the eyelids. MDE is commonly found along the lower lid margin. This can mechanically interfere with the normal distribution of tears, eye drops, and other treatments, giving rise to unstable tear film, delayed tear clearance, and dry eye.

“Symptoms of MDE can include dryness or redness, excessive tearing due to an obstructed tear reservoir, sensitivity loss, or eye pain. Excessive tearing can be significant in mechanical dry eye patients and blinking does not help.” said Scheffer C.G. Tseng, MD, PhD, Chief Technology Officer at TissueTech. “MDE can cause the Tenon’s capsule – located in the lower eyelid – to degenerate and prevent the eye from holding tears. It can cause irritation that feels like Dry Eye but fails to respond to the conventional treatments including artificial tears, anti-inflammatory therapies, and punctal occlusion. It is often overlooked and underdiagnosed by ophthalmologists.”

This website will provide important information to patients and their caregivers so that they can learn more about MDE/CCh. It further enables physicians to differentiate MDE/CCh from conventional dry eye and engage their patients in a discussion to provide options to manage this condition that is often overlooked or underdiagnosed by physicians. The website also educates eye care professionals, patients, and their caregivers on an outpatient procedure known as Reservoir Restoration using AmnioGraft^® biologic ocular transplantation graft.

Reservoir Restoration is a minor surgical procedure under topical anesthesia designed to re-establish the normal anatomical tear reservoir in the inferior conjunctival fornix in about 20 minutes. The newly created reservoir allows tears to form properly, keeping the patient’s eye lubricated and eliminating symptoms. The results can be life- changing, improving patients’ quality of life and allowing them to resume their normal activities.

“The greatest comment I hear from patients very soon after surgery is ‘when can you do my other eye,’ so I know it is making a big difference in helping improve their symptoms of dry eye and their overall quality of life,” said Neel R. Desai, MD. “It is amazing to know this procedure can mechanically correct the issues with their eyes and immediately relieve the dry eye symptoms they have been experiencing.”

TissueTech, and its wholly owned subsidiaries Amniox and BioTissue, are committed to addressing unmet patient needs. As such, the organization maintains a product portfolio of amniotic membrane and umbilical cord birth tissue products to help manage ocular surface disease, complex, chronic and surgical wounds, and musculoskeletal disease and injury.

About BioTissue, Inc.

BioTissue, Inc., a TissueTech, Inc. company, is the market leader in the clinical application of cryopreserved amniotic membrane-based products for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the ocular surface. Established in 1997, BioTissue serves an unmet need for better surgical and therapeutic alternatives for helping eye care professionals manage ocular surface conditions, such as keratitis, recurrent corneal erosions, conjunctivochalasis, pterygium, and dry eye. Connect with BioTissue on our Website, Facebook,LinkedIn and Twitter.

About TissueTech, Inc.

TissueTech, Inc., the parent company of Amniox Medical, Inc. and BioTissue, Inc., pioneered the development and clinical application of human placental tissue-based products. Founded in 1997, BioTissue markets products for the ophthalmology and optometry markets; and Amniox markets products for use in the musculoskeletal and wound care markets. Clinicians have performed more than 500,000 human implants with the company’s products and published more than 360 peer-reviewed studies supporting its technology platform. The Company’s first product, AmnioGraft^®, is the only tissue graft designated by the FDA to act as an anti-scarring, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic agent and supporting epithelial adhesion and differentiation. Learn more at https://biotissue.com/.