SAN JOSE, Calif., May 31, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq:ALGN) today 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 people. 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 percent 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.
About Align Technology, Inc.
Align Technology designs, manufactures and markets Invisalign, a proprietary method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. Because it does not rely on the use of metal or ceramic brackets and wires, Invisalign significantly reduces the aesthetic and other limitations associated with braces. Invisalign is appropriate for treating adults and teens. Align Technology was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign in 1998. Today, the Invisalign product family includes Invisalign, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign Assist, Invisalign Express, and Vivera Retainers. To learn more about Invisalign or to find an Invisalign trained doctor in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com.
Cadent Holdings, Inc. is a subsidiary of Align Technology and is a leading provider of 3D digital scanning solutions for orthodontics and dentistry. The Cadent family of products includes iTero and OrthoCAD iOC scanning systems, OrthoCADiCast, OrthoCAD iQ and OrthoCAD iRecord. For additional information, please visit www.cadentinc.com.
About Peking University
Peking University School of Stomatology is the largest dental school in China. It is a prestigious, comprehensive educational institution featuring stomatology that conducts teaching and research while providing clinical service and preventative care for the public.
Forward-Looking Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expectations related to the long term growth opportunity for Align in China, including the anticipated ramp in Invisalign case volume. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release relating to expectations about future events or results are based upon information available to Align as of the date hereof. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, the rate which consumers in China adopt Invisalign may be slower than we anticipate and we may not achieve market acceptance by dental professionals in China at the rate we anticipate. These and other risks are detailed from time to time in Align's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2011, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2011. Align undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.