SAN JOSE, CA and MUMBAI, INDIA—(Marketwired – Feb 5, 2016) – Align Technology, Inc. (
NASDAQ
:
ALGN
) today announced that the Invisalign system is now commercially available in India and that the Company has shipped its first Invisalign cases to Indian orthodontists. Align is offering a comprehensive range of products including Invisalign Full, Invisalign Teen, and Invisalign Lite clear aligners, as well as Vivera Retainers for post treatment retention to Invisalign–trained orthodontists. These doctors have completed the training course offered by the Company which is necessary to begin treating patients with Invisalign. Align is training doctors in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, and Chennai, and will expand into Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Calcutta, and Cochin over the coming months. These cities have a combined population of over 80 million people, including a growing upper middle class demographic that is increasingly interested in straightening their teeth and improving their oral health. Urban consumers account for a considerable share of sales of premium oral care products in India, with premium specialized and value added oral care products growing rapidly. Align will launch a consumer marketing campaign in India this year to educate potential patients about the benefits of orthodontic treatment with Invisalign clear aligners and to help them find an Invisalign provider in their community.
India is estimated to have nearly half a million new orthodontic case starts each year, with the total number of annual case starts expected to double by 2019. A higher percentage of these cases are complex malocclusion cases than in Western countries, and with the new features and functionality delivered with Invisalign G6 for First Premolar Extraction and Invisalign G5 for Deep Bite, Invisalign–trained orthodontists in India can now confidently treat the more complex cases common to the Indian population.
“India is a great long term growth opportunity for Align and we are committed to establishing a world–class operation to support this growth and foster success for our customers and for Align,” said Julie Tay, Align vice president and managing director of Asia Pacific. “As part of our strategy, we are making investments to ensure we establish a solid base of key opinion leaders and early adopters in India who can help build clinical confidence in the orthodontic community and create strong brand preference for Invisalign treatment among consumers. While India represents a huge growth potential, we expect a gradual increase in case volume as we build our business over the next several years.”
In anticipation of commercial availability of Invisalign clear aligners, Align has been building its presence in India and has established its office in Mumbai, which includes country management, clinical education, and customer support. In December 2015, Align hosted a scientific symposium on Invisalign treatment in conjunction with the 50th Indian Orthodontic Conference in Hyderabad. The symposium featured clinical lectures by Invisalign experts that was attended by nearly 100 orthodontists. The symposium demonstrated Align's commitment to training and education in India and focused on innovation unique to the Invisalign system including biomechanics, attachments, and force calculation.
“The Invisalign system impressed me by showing the wide–range of malocclusion that can be treated with Invisalign clear aligners,” said Dr.Arun Nayak — orthodontist practicing in Fort, Mumbai. “I see tremendous potential and immediate applications in my own practice.”
“The true measure of integrating the Invisalign system into my clinical practice comes with the rewards our patients, my staff and I feel,” said Dr. Ashok Karad — orthodontist practicing in Bandra, Mumbai.
For more information about Invisalign treatment in India, please visit www.invisalign.in.
About Align Technology, Inc.
Align Technology is the leader in modern Clear Aligner orthodontics that designs, manufactures and markets the Invisalign® system, which provides dental professionals with a range of treatment options for adults and teenagers. Align also offers the iTero 3D digital scanning system and services for orthodontic and restorative dentistry. Align was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market the Invisalign system in 1998. Visit www.aligntech.com for more information.
For additional information about the Invisalign system or to find an Invisalign provider in your area, please visit www.invisalign.com. For additional information about the iTero 3D digital scanning system, please visit www.itero.com.