Photo courtesy of Alcon

The annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) taking place in Shanghai serves as a prime platform for foreign companies to showcase innovations, breakthrough technologies, and quality products; the 2024 edition is no exception. This year, Alcon, the global eyecare leader, presents a robust lineup at CIIE (from November 5th to 10th ), featuring one latest innovation and four Chinese debuts, covering its product excellence in both surgical and vision care divisions.

  “One of the key things of CIIE is about our abilities to show Alcon’s innovations which goes both current and future ones. One of the future innovations is our next-generation Phaco Vitreoretinal System. We also put ARGOS on display, an advanced biometer with image-guided technology. In terms of current innovations, we introduce our PanOptix and PanOptix Toric intraocular lens in the next-generation Clareon materials and our BlueSept PRO contact lens solution. We also have products and technologies highlighted last year, Wavelight Plus which was presented at CIIE 2023 for World Premiere, an advanced and customized refractive laser treatment, as well as PRECISION1 and Dailies TOTAL1 contact lenses.” said Rick Kozloski, President of Alcon China when talking about the company’s highlights at this year’s show.

Rick Kozloski, President of Alcon China Photo courtesy of Alcon

This is the third time for Alcon to participate in the CIIE. Year 2025 marks Alcon’s entry into the Chinese market for 3 decades. Reviewing Alcon’s evolution in China, Rick said: “For the 1st decade, Alcon focused on bringing our technologies here, particularly in the space of cataract surgeries and phacoemulsification technologies; While the needs for eye treatments of cataract had spanned across all over China, during the 2nd decade, we centered on how did Alcon help meet the needs of those patients around all of China. For the 3rd decade and years forward, with Alcon’s technologies getting more advanced, we focus on introducing those high-quality innovations to the Chinese patients while making sure our digital solutions keep up with the digital needs in the health care space, in alignment with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan.”

As China accelerates the pace of building a digital country, so does its citizens to embrace this digital transformation. Older adults book an appointment with their ophthalmologists via smart phones. The digital-savvy population grows strong sense of eye health awareness while the rising middle-class group is increasing their high-end eye care demands. Patients from 1st and 2nd tier cities would research online for different treatment solutions and gain a significant amount knowledge of eyecare products before visiting the hospitals. This almost cashless country has one of the fastest growing aging populations troubled by various eye conditions such as cataract, glaucoma and etc., and its younger generation are faced with eye problems associated with refractive errors. Traditional surgical results are no longer desirable, China’s patients are seeking for a better vision option for their cataract surgery or a tailored-made myopia treatment to improve visual outcomes.

Photo courtesy of Alcon

To address the different needs of an ever larger Chinese consumer base, Alcon has been committed to ensuring access to Alcon’s comprehensive range of products, providing quality surgical outcomes and patient experiences.

TAKES THE NEEDS OF THE CHINESE PATIENTS INTO CONSIDERATION

Each year, Alcon spends 7 - 9% of its sales volume globally reinvesting in its R&D sector. As Alcon is developing those new products, its R&D Department listens to the voices of eye experts around the world, with particular attention to the needs of Chinese patients. And programs rolled out in Hainan Boao and Greater Bay Area offer great platforms for foreign pharmaceutical companies to gain earlier market access in China for new products.‘Alcon is committed to speeding up the process of introducing its latest innovations into the country and benefit the Chinese patients.
 
TAKES CHINA’S VBP AS AN OPPORTUNITY

In 2019, China has implemented its volume-based procurement (VBP) policy for medical device companies. Alcon saw this as an opportunity at the first place to bring its global leading intraocular lens technology to China and get more patients have access to those ATIOLs in a cost-effective way.

Photo courtesy of Alcon

To ensure the smooth implementation after products being selected in VBP, Alcon has taken actions in two major ways. No. 1: to ensure the surgeons in China are very comfortable regarding the new technologies and information, to utilize those technologies to the highest level of expertise; No. 2: to ensure Alcon is ready from the supply chain standpoint. 

HELPS PATIENTS IN CHINA’S RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS

Given the fact that patients suffered from eye conditions in China’s rural and remote areas have little access to quality eye care products and services, Alcon initiated programs like Phaco Development (PD) program in the country traced back to 2008, aiming to help physicians all over the country to build cataract surgical capabilities to help patients in China’s underserved communities. 

Alcon has also supported Lifeline Express, a mobile charity eye hospital with a mission to restore sight for cataract patients in rural China. From the charitable side of Alcon China, the company hosts a fundraiser each year to support children and rural areas in terms of vision health care.

A STRONG SUPPORTER OF EDUCATION

As China becomes a very important player on Alcon’s global business landscape, so does Alcon reinforce its commitment to patients in China and its responsibilities to deliver world-class resources and expanding investment in the professional education sphere. 

Alcon China has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The first AEC in China was set up in Beijing back to 2020. AEC is literally a physical center in China where physicians can come and have hands-on demos on Alcon’s surgical suite of products. They can use those products to ensure the delivery of the most desirable outcomes to the patients. The other state-of-the-art facilities Alcon boasts in AEC are the wet labs, where surgeons can also come in and utilize the equipment in those lab settings to get the feel of and experience with those products, so they can see the benefits and understand how to optimize them. 

On a global scale, Alcon Experience Academy (AEA) is a great digital portal open for eye healthcare professionals around the world to have access to top training and educational resources, including clinical information, seminars, publications, things that generates globally but also publications in China. 

Since 1995, Alcon has embarked on a successful journey in China, experiencing rapid growth as the country further opens its market. As Rick reiterated, “For Alcon, it’s not just about bringing the innovations into China, it’s about ensuring patients have access to them all over the country.” We will see Alcon’s wide spectrum of products to reach more people in China and help them see brilliantly, catering for different needs, and advancing the country’s eyecare capabilities to the next level in the years to come.