SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Align Technology, Inc. announced that the Invisalign system is now commercially available in the People's Republic of China. The company is training orthodontists based in the four major cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, which have a combined population of over 70 million. Align is offering Invisalign Full, Invisalign Teen and Vivera Retainers directly to Invisalign-trained orthodontists.
China is estimated to have nearly half a million new orthodontic case starts each year, with a higher percentage of complex Class II and III malocclusion cases than in Western countries. In October 2010, Align announced it had received regulatory approval from the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to market and sell the Invisalign system as a Class II medical device for the treatment of malocclusion.
In conjunction with the recent international launch of Invisalign G3, Align accelerated commercial availability of Invisalign in China from the second half of 2011. The new features and functionality delivered with Invisalign G3 are engineered to make Invisalign easier to use with Class II and III patients and address the higher complexity of
malocclusion among the Asian population. In anticipation of this launch Align has been building its presence in China and has established its office in Shanghai which includes country management, sales, marketing, clinical education, and support.
"I am very pleased to announce commercial availability of Invisalign in the world's second largest economy," said Richard Twomey, Align vice president international. "China is a great long term growth opportunity for Align and we are committed to establishing a world-class operation that fosters our long term success. As part of that strategy, we expect a gradual ramp in case volume as much of our initial effort is focused on key opinion leaders and early adopters."
In April, as a pre-curser to the commercial launch, Peking University hosted a two-day clinical symposium on Invisalign treatment. The "Science in Every Smile" symposium featured clinical lectures by leading Invisalign practitioners from around the world and was attended by more than 340 orthodontists from across China, including faculty, private practitioners, and 95% of the country's orthodontic department chairpersons. The symposium demonstrated the commitment to training and education shared by Peking University and Align Technology, and was a welcomed opportunity to share Invisalign case studies and techniques with Chinese orthodontists.
"Peking University School of Stomatology was honored to introduce the Invisalign system to China's leading orthodontic faculty. The strong attendance and positive feedback illustrates the heightened interest and demand in China for the newest technology, such as Align Technology's leading, science-based clear aligner system," said
Professor Yanheng Zhou, Professor and Chair, Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology.
"The Symposium impressed me by showing the wide range of malocclusion that can be treated with Invisalign. I see tremendous potential and immediate applications in my own practice," said Dr. Haiping Lu, PhD, an orthodontist in private practice in Hangzhou, China.
Professor Robert Boyd, Chairman of the Department of Orthodontics at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific (USA), and one of the symposium speakers, said, "The success of this Symposium is a testament to the cooperation between Peking University School of Stomatology and Align Technology, and bodes well for the growth of Invisalign in China."
For more information about Invisalign China, please visit www.invisalign.com.cn.
For more information about Invisalign, go to tinyurl.com/3s7cq7r.
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