Alcon sets sights on China's eye care sector, bringing innovations

"Upbeat about the Chinese market, Alcon Inc, the Geneva-headquartered pharmaceutical and medical device company specializing in eye care, will continue to invest and work closely with local partners in China to seize more market share," said a senior executive.

Industrial expertise

Embracing the company's 2023 theme of "Strengthening Innovation in China", Alcon is committed to speeding up the introduction of its cutting-edge global innovations across its surgical, vision care, and dry eye sectors to the Chinese market. This strategic initiative aims to extend the benefits of these groundbreaking products to a broader audience in China, said Rick Kozloski, Alcon China president.

"We will deepen local cooperation to jointly advance the sustainable development of the eye care industry in China," said Kozloski, adding that driving digitalization is also strategically important for the company's growth in China.

Under its plans, Alcon will further integrate digital and visualization technologies into diagnosis and treatment solutions for ocular health to bring in more futuristic eye care equipment and a product ecosystem to differentiate its innovative products and services for patients and consumers across China over time.

Highlighting the aging population, growing middle-income earners, increasing myopia and cataracts, along with a stronger awareness of health in China, Kozloski said that these factors mostly contribute to the soaring market demand for high-end eye care solutions in China, making them appealing to Alcon with its broad portfolio of eye care products.

China is facing a myopia challenge, affecting an estimated 600 million individuals, according to information released by the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education. Over time, many of them may gradually begin to experience symptoms of presbyopia at the age of 38 and older. These symptoms can manifest as difficulties with reading, blurred close-up vision, the need to hold objects at a distance for clear visibility, eye fatigue, and more.

Debuts and prospects

"We have noticed the specific 'dual needs' of Chinese patients — improvement in both visual quality and experience," he said. "With a patient-centric mindset, Alcon will continue to accelerate efforts to bring its cutting-edge global innovations to China to better serve the evolving needs of local patients and consumers. That is also one of the reasons why we are here at the sixth China International Import Expo."

Keen to expand its market presence in China, Alcon has brought a number of innovations across its three franchises — surgical, vision care, and dry eye to the CIIE in Shanghai this year. Among those products, some are making their China debut, and one, in particular, is making its global debut.

For instance, Alcon announced the global debut of Wavelight Plus (Registration No 20232160037) at the CIIE this year. It also showcased Systane iLux (Registration No 20233160121) — a new option for dry eye patients — during the grand event.

In addition to showcasing DAILIES Total1 (Registration No 20163163313) and Precision1(Registration No 20223160080), a type of daily disposable contact lens that brings a smooth and lubricated experience, Alcon displayed Blue Sept (Registration No 20153162637) — a lens care solution for consumers using rigid gas permeable contact lenses — at its booth this year.

The company has also announced that its first LuxOR Revelia (Registration No 20162161947) ophthalmic microscope is landing into clinical practice during the CIIE.

"We are pleased to see eye health management has become a critical part of Healthy China 2030, a national guideline aimed at promoting overall health," Kozloski said, noting this is a positive response to rapidly evolving patient needs in China, emphasizing the improvement in both visual quality and experience.

Emphasizing the role that the China market plays in Alcon's global strategy, and the increasing needs of the patients and consumers in China to see more brilliantly, he said that Alcon China is one of the company's most important markets around the world.

Alcon's business performance in China displayed continuous positive growth throughout 2022, underscoring the country's potential and significance in the company's global operations.