Alcon eyes further growth in healthcare

Having just taken part in the China International Import Expo for the fourth consecutive year, Geneva-headquartered eye care company Alcon believes the event serves as one of the most influential platforms for introducing its global-first and cutting-edge technologies to China, said a senior executive.

"Because of its visibility and influence, our new products and next-generation solutions can reach broader audiences, gaining faster acceptance among patients and healthcare professionals," said Rick Kozloski, president of Alcon China.

"It's unique that China allows companies to bring technologies in pre-approval through local pathways like the CIIE to speed up global innovations. We're actively working on such projects, and I think we're getting better at them," Kozloski added.

"Accessibility plays a key role. That's why the CIIE and its spillover effects are so important — it provides a powerful platform to showcase our technologies, raise awareness and help more people understand and benefit from our innovations. For me, that's an incredibly important part of what makes the CIIE so valuable," he said.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Alcon's entry into the Chinese mainland market. According to Kozloski, despite the changes in times and policies over the past three decades, China's open business environment has remained constant, serving as a significant driving force for multinational companies like Alcon.

Thanks to this favorable environment, Alcon has been able to continuously expand its footprint in China and actively contribute to the growth and development of the country's eye health sector, better meeting the needs of Chinese patients, he said. Kozloski added that China is one of Alcon's most important markets globally in terms of business scale and growth, and it is also the company's second-largest surgical market worldwide.

"It's an incredibly important part of our global business ... In general, I'm optimistic — because China is an amazing country, with an amazing economy, culture and people. These are all the elements that drive success ... I believe the economic outlook here will always remain positive," Kozloski said.

"When it comes to ophthalmology, patient needs are tremendous. China has the largest population of ophthalmic patients in the world, and the highest demand for eye procedures compared to any other market globally. For example, glaucoma is one of the major conditions, and cataracts are also very prevalent here. It shows why this is such an important market for us," he added.

According to Kozloski, in China, the number of patients suffering from moderate to severe refractive errors, presbyopia, dry eye disease and cataracts ranks among the highest in the world, which is why the Chinese market holds such great importance for Alcon.

More than 700 million people in China are suffering from myopia, with the overall myopia rate among children and adolescents reaching 52.7 percent, making the myopia rate among Chinese teenagers the highest in the world, the Yangcheng Evening News reported, citing data from the National Health Commission.