Helping to build a healthy, beautiful business

Allergan China wants to expand biopharmaceutical giant's presence in country and shape its medical aesthetics industry

White Wang, president of Allergan China, is a perfect example of the Ireland-based biopharmaceutical giant's localization strategy in China.

Wang was born, raised and educated on the Chinese mainland. With more than 18 years of experience in the traditional pharmaceutical industry, his ambition is to expand Allergan's presence in China and shape the country's medical aesthetics industry.

In a recent interview with China Daily, Wang elaborated on his vision and shared his thoughts on the nation's healthcare industry.

As the president of Allergan China, what are your plans and expectations for Allergan's development in China?

Globally, Allergan is taking a leading role in many subdivisions, including medical aesthetics and ophthalmology.

Unlike many renowned foreign enterprises, we entered the Chinese market only 10 years ago. However, the medical aesthetics market in China started to boom a few years ago and we caught the right time.

We are already a forerunner in the medical aesthetics market and will continue to lead its development. Through a series of measures, we are aiming to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the market.

In addition, our eye care business is quite competitive globally. Some of our eye care products have just entered the Chinese market. A product to cure retinal disease was introduced to China last year, and we are actively promoting the process of including the product in the nation's medical insurance system. In the meantime, we will introduce medical devices used in the minimally invasive surgery for glaucoma soon.

Therefore, in both the medical aesthetics sector and the traditional healthcare sector, we possess abundant product lines, and we are constantly embracing innovation. We are actively exploring new business models, such as integrating traditional business with the internet.

Finally, we are attracting talents from all walks of life, creating a platform where all types of experts can communicate and grow together. For example, in Allergan China, we have recruited professionals from the internet industry, the traditional pharmaceutical industry, and the consumer goods industry.

How is your company helping to shape the country's medical aesthetics sector?

Rather than beating rivals, we are ramping up efforts to promote the industry's healthy and sustainable development. The medical aesthetics sector in China is relatively new and not fully developed, and the industry needs more qualified medical professionals.

This is why Allergan spent 100 million yuan ($14.54 million) to establish its first Chinese innovation center in Chengdu in April, which is used to educate and train injection physicians for free. This move reflects our position as the industry leader and incubator.

Allergan also offers educational exchange programs that allow Chinese doctors to learn from excellent international medical cosmetic institutions. The doctors are grouped by their clinical experience and skill level, and matched to different education programs.

Besides, the industry is short of professional managers. Many investors entered the market with abundant capital but limited knowledge, resulting in poor business performances. To create a healthy medical aesthetics ecosystem, we teamed up with a leading business education organization to establish an ecological camp in the medical aesthetics sector, where executives from different organizations can learn from professors, exchange knowledge and share resources.

Finally, one issue in the industry is information asymmetry. The millennial generation is a major consumption group of online information. They need basic scientific knowledge about medical aesthetics to help them make correct treatment decisions. Currently, there is insufficient access to quality information, and we are doing our bit to educate the market. This is our responsibility as an industry leader.

What are your company's localization plans in China?

The headquarters attaches great importance to the Chinese market and has a good understanding of the characteristics and potential of the business in China. Being Chinese, I am especially aware of how to integrate the company's localization plan with national policy.

For example, the government of Hainan established the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, where a list of new medicines, not including vaccines, and devices for clinical use can be imported upon the approval of the Hainan provincial government.

Allergan was one of the first foreign enterprises to bring products to the pilot zone. We introduced a mini-invasive product to cure glaucoma, and so far, three patients in Hainan have used the product and recovered pretty well. Next, we are considering promoting the approval process of the product.

In our cooperation with Chengdu, we noticed that Chengdu is a critical link in the Belt and Road Initiative. Therefore, we explored a new transportation route for goods by taking advantage of the BRI logistics, including the cross-continental China-EU Express Railway.

We will continue to invest in Chengdu and will launch the first consumer experience center there soon, where consumers can gain basic medical aesthetics knowledge. We also plan to team up with local e-commerce enterprises such as Alibaba Health, facilitating the integration of offline experience and online information search.

What is your advice for medical aesthetics consumers and institutions?

For medical aesthetics consumers, I suggest they go to certified medical institutions and use government-approved medical products and qualified doctors. In addition, public education is necessary. The ideal concept of medical aesthetics is that it makes you a more beautiful version of yourself, rather than transforming you into another person.

For medical aesthetics institutions, I think the future of the market is promising, and there is still huge untapped potential. We look forward to working with medical institutions to promote the sustainable development of the industry.

What's your view of China's policy on foreign enterprises and foreign investment? How can the country further improve its business environment for foreign investors?

I think the overall business environment for foreign investors is quite healthy. China is further opening up to the outside world, and both the central and local authorities are supportive of foreign enterprises doing business in China.

In addition, local government authorities are quite professional. To facilitate cooperation with us, they are willing to acquire professional knowledge. We respect the efforts the Chinese government has made to improve its business environment for foreign enterprises.

The Chinese government has been optimizing its approval process and making its supervision more scientific. I believe the government can continue doing so. For a pharmaceutical enterprise, accelerating the approval process of new products is critical. It may take six to eight years for a product launch, and even a one-year reduction in the approval period means a lot to us and patients as well.

How has innovation changed your company's business in China?

For foreign enterprises, to combine global strategy with China's specific conditions, and to adapt to the industry's rapid changes and development, innovation is always a priority, which includes cooperation with top local business schools and Alibaba Health. These efforts, which are yet to be tested in the global market, have been introduced in China to meet local needs.

I believe only through innovation can we find the right path to ensure sustainable growth of the company and promote the healthy and sustainable development of China's healthcare industry.

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 08/21/2019 page9)