Allergan Aesthetics demonstrates confidence in China market at CIIE

Fifth import expo in Shanghai showcases cutting-edge medical aesthetics products

Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company and a global leader in aesthetics, is taking to the stage for the second time at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Saturday, showcasing a full portfolio of cutting-edge medical aesthetics products.

It is also targeting to recognize its valued partnerships and share the latest industry trends with demonstration of its great confidence and commitments to the China market as well as the soaring Chinese aesthetics consumers.

"With the CIIE serving to support global trade and economic cooperation, we are glad to have Allergan Aesthetics participate in 2022, for the second time," said Jason Smith, senior vice-president and international president of Allergan Aesthetics.

"China is a significant market for our international business and having a presence at CIIE demonstrates our commitment to our stakeholders and valued partnerships here. This is reflected in the industry-leading portfolio of medical aesthetic products we provide, backed by science and innovation, working closely with healthcare professionals to optimize outcomes for patients," Smith said.

According to Allergan Aesthetics, at the 800-square-meter CIIE booth, the company will showcase its industry-leading portfolio in medical aesthetics including Juvederm and CoolSculpting.

"China has become one of the most important markets and a growth driver for Allergan Aesthetics in our JAPAC area. We have confidence in China's economy, market potential and the future development of medical aesthetics industry," said White Wang, area vice-president of Japan and Asia-Pacific (JAPAC) at Allergan Aesthetics.

"We believe that the CIIE is already an effective platform for supporting us to further expand our footprint and accelerate our development in China," Wang added.

The newly launched Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine will be one of highlights of the Allergan Aesthetics portfolio showcased at this year's CIIE.

It is now China's only hyaluronic acid dermal filler approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for treatment of cheek (including mid-face areas) augmentation.

This year, Allergan Aesthetics celebrated the milestone of producing and shipping 100 million syringes of Juvederm products globally. Since its launch in 2000, the Juvederm Collection of Fillers has grown to where its products are now available in more than 110 territories worldwide and it remains the world's No 1 chosen dermal filler collection.

The company will also bring the new-generation CoolSculpting to the CIIE which is equipped with the upgraded CoolAdvantage applicators.

The new CoolSculpting can reduce treatment time by 42 percent compared with previous generations of the devices, and treatment time reduced to as short as 35 minutes per cycle. The new CoolSculpting also drives the improvements in patient comfort.

"In addition, a science-based skincare brand SkinMedica and the next-level, noninvasive skin-resurfacing treatment Diamond-Glow will also be displayed at the expo. The brands and products are expected to be available to the Chinese market in the near future." said Ethan Qiu, general manager of Allergan Aesthetics China.

China commitment

Wang said: "As one of the largest and most well-resourced medical aesthetics companies in the world, Allergan Aesthetics will introduce more products to the Chinese market, satisfying the unmet demand of Chinese patients and consumers and empowering them in their pursuit of a healthy, confident and beautiful life."

In China, the Juvederm Collection of Fillers approved by the NMPA includes the Juvederm Voluma with Lidocaine for treatment of cheeks and the Juvederm Volbella with Lidocaine, which is China's first and the only hyaluronic acid dermal filler in China with approved indication for lips. The company is also dedicated to training aesthetic specialists on the use of all its products and their approved indications.

On Sept 27, Allergan Aesthetics officially launched its Shanghai Innovation Center. The center would provide high-quality academic and hands-on training sessions for healthcare professionals in China's medical aesthetics industry, facilitate cross-country peer exchange, and keep the practitioners updated with latest aesthetics technology and products, and the best practices internationally.

According to the company, from on-the-job training to theoretical study, the training sessions at the center will equip the practitioners with a much more rounded skill-set to match an increasingly dynamic and competitive market.

Moreover, it adopts the latest methodology in teaching. With strong emphasis on digital technologies, the introduction of artificial intelligence-based tools and anatomical software as well as interactive tools, will all greatly enhance the trainees' learning experience and ultimately, the treatment outcomes that they're going to deliver to the patients.

Huang Feng, chairman of the Shanghai Foreign Investment Association, addressed at the opening ceremony of Allergan Aesthetics Shanghai Innovation Center, saying that: "The establishment of Allergan Aesthetics' Shanghai Innovation Center is expected to promote the high-quality development of China's medical aesthetics industry, build a healthy beauty ecology, and constantly empower the sustainable development of the industry."

"Together with other departments, in the next step, we will spare no efforts to foster the implementation of policies regarding the innovation center, and enhance service support to the enterprise," he said.

Educational efforts

Data from market consulting firm iResearch showed that in 2021, China's medical aesthetics market totaled 227.4 billion yuan ($31.4 billion), growing 15.1 percent on a year-on-year basis.

It is estimated that by the end of this year, China's medical aesthetics consumers will surpass 20 million, and the market size will grow to 264.3 billion yuan, said iResearch.

In June, Allergan Aesthetics launched "The Future of Aesthetics" global trends report, revealing that aesthetics as a practice and practitioners, must be held to a high standard.

"That is why we are dedicated to helping healthcare professionals pursue the highest levels of clinical excellence through a tailored and comprehensive approach to medical education to advance their scientific knowledge and technical skills, like the Innovation Centre we launched in Shanghai in September. This follows our first Centre in Chengdu established in 2019, demonstrating our continued investment and attention," Smith said.

Previous to the establishment of the Allergan Aesthetics Shanghai Innovation Center this year, the company launched its first global innovation center in Chengdu, Sichuan province in 2019. The two innovation centers offer Allergan Aesthetics' educational program designed and conducted by the team of Allergan Medical Institute (AMI).

The AMI is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and technical skills of customers through a variety of training programs to help aesthetic physicians pursue the highest level of clinical excellence.

Currently, AMI deploys a group of about 100 training staffs in China. All of them have medical background and 85 percent of them hold a master's degree. According to the company, the AMI is planning to train over 10,000 medical aesthetics professionals online and offline across China within the year of 2022.

Authentic Alliance Campaign

Qiu said: "Our educational efforts do not stop with physicians and extend to consumers where we have driven initiatives like the Authentic Alliance Campaign, held jointly with national media and under the guidance of the Chinese Association of Plastics and Aesthetics."

Allergan Aesthetics launched the campaign in China ever since 2016. The campaign advocates the concept of "going to authentic institutions, finding qualified doctors and using certified products" among the medical aesthetics consumers as well as raising their safety awareness and establishing a rational and scientific aesthetic value.

"The campaign contributes to a healthy and sustainable industry ecosystem," said Qiu.

Tang Jiansheng, deputy secretary general of the Shanghai Consumer Council, noted that medical aesthetics is an important track under the country's consumption upgrade background.

With growing industry scale and consumer group, the interest protection of medical aesthetics consumers should be reinforced.

"Allergan Aesthetics China also made great efforts in promoting bar-code scanning program among the public, especially in third to fifth-tier cities, to ensure them select authentic products when making medical aesthetics decisions," Qiu added.

Favorable policies

Allergan Aesthetics has one of the largest, most-researched portfolios and pipelines in the medical aesthetics industry.

In China, it has been committed to bringing a full range of industry-leading products to satisfy the unmet demand of Chinese patients and consumers.

Amid the process, the favorable policies brought by the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan province benefited the multinational corporation to a large extent.

The Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone is the only one of its kind in China that enjoys nine preferential policies. It includes the policies allowing medical institutions in the zone to import and use badly-needed drugs and medical equipment from overseas that are not yet approved by the top drug authority in China.

"Looking at the preferential policies at the Lecheng Pilot Zone, Allergan Aesthetics was among the first batch of multinationals participating in the pilot projects of accelerating import of new drug and medical device, and we have made visible progresses," Wang said.

Wang noted that Allergan Aesthetics' new dermal filler product Juvederm Volux was granted early approval and access in the pilot zone in December 2019, making it the first medical aesthetics product approved by the Hainan government.

"So far a clinical data collection project has been completed with over 100 volunteers who received treatments on their jaws."

"This year, the commercial launch of Juvederm Volite, an injectable implant intended to treat superficial skin depressions, was made at Arsmo (Hainan) Aesthetic Hospital, and its first injection will be operated soon," he said.

Jia Ning, head of Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone Administration, said: "High-end medical aesthetics industry is an important development direction for Boao Lecheng. With the nine preferential policies and high-quality medical and tourism support, world-class premium medical aesthetics resources will be further gathered to the zone."

"We welcome leading international pharmaceutical companies such as Allergan Aesthetics to the zone in a bid to help accelerate the introduction of global innovative products and contribute to the construction of Hainan as a new highland of medical and tourism opening-up," he said.

Promising future

"We believe in the strength and creativity of Allergan Aesthetics as a company and the portfolio of leading brands and products," Wang said.

Speaking of the company's future business strategy in China, Allergan Aesthetics said that it will continue to focus on innovative products and solutions, medical education and training, patient and consumer connections, to empower the prosperous, health and sustainable development of medical aesthetics in China.

"Together, we will continue to put patient well-being and safety at the center of everything we do, elevating standards of care in medical aesthetics — to empower confidence in our industry for everyone," Smith said.