Our Partner ACRO Biomedical Co., Ltd. Receives Approval for Its Biocompatible Cornea from Taiwan FDA, the Department of Health and Welfare
14th March 2025

Our strategic partner and major shareholder, ACRO Biomedical Co., Ltd., a public listed company on Taiwan Stock Exchange and one of the Taiwan’s leading biomedical companies, receives the approval for its biocompatible artificial cornea, ABCcolla Collagen Ophthalmic Matrix, from Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), with registration number MOHW Medical Device No. 008155 (Picture). Following years of rigorous clinical trials, this collagen ophthalmic matrix is now approved for use in corneal reconstruction procedures, benefiting patients suffering from corneal melting, trauma, infections, and other severe corneal injuries. It can be used as a corneal graft substitute in a variety of transplant and reconstruction surgeries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 20 million people worldwide suffer from corneal blindness due to injury or infection. However, only about 100,000 corneal transplants are performed annually, leaving a massive gap between supply and demand. A report from Global Market Insights, Inc. estimates that the global corneal transplant market will reach $500 million in 2024, with a projected growth to $1 billion by 2033, driven by a 7.59% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2033.

This novel biocompatible artificial cornea provides a safe and effective alternative to common human donor corneas.  Though the number of donor corneas may be sufficient for the need by patients in most of the developed countries, it is required to consider and better prepare for any possible sudden abruption of donation by unexpected incident, such as the COVID-19 outbreak.

OBM owns the market rights of a certain territories, including Australia, for ACRO’s biocompatible artificial cornea product.  This approval in Taiwan paves a road for OBM to seek approvals from its licensed territories by properly completing the required regulatory steps and enable OBM to become a clinical-stage biopharma company with commercial product in sight.