(Yicai) April 29 -- Chinese hearing aids maker Sonitus Medical and Austrian peer BHM have agreed to co-develop innovative bone conduction hearing devices for the global market.

Under the agreement, Sonitus will grant BHM commercialization rights for two of its bone conduction hearing aids outside China, the Shanghai-based company announced yesterday. BHM and its parent firm, MED-EL, will leverage a distribution network spanning over 130 countries to promote the new products, it added.

The tie-up aims to combine Sonitus' innovation capabilities with BHM's established presence in European markets. It will help the pair better serve patients with various hearing impairments through non-invasive bone conduction technology.

"The medical-grade bone conduction market for patients with conductive hearing loss, single-sided deafness, and mixed hearing loss is still in its infancy in China but holds tremendous potential," said Shawn Pu, chairman of Sonitus. "In China, Sonitus Medical is already the leader in this niche segment."

"Even in relatively mature hearing markets like Europe and the United States, there remain many unmet needs among patients with conductive hearing loss, single-sided deafness, and mixed hearing loss," noted Markus Hütter, managing director of BHM. "Through our collaboration, we hope to better leverage the efficiency, quality, and cost advantages of the Chinese supply chain, combined with our brand and marketing strengths in global markets."

Sonitus, which moved to Shanghai's Zhangjiang International Medical Park from Silicon Valley, focuses on medical-grade bone conduction hearing devices. It has more than 100 global patents and developed the SoundBite hearing system, which was recognized as the top US medical innovation by the Cleveland Clinic.

BHM was acquired by global hearing implant leader MED-EL last year. The parent firm operates in 137 countries and has around 2,800 employees.

Editor: Martin Kadiev