AffaMed Therapeutics (“AffaMed”), a global clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing critical unmet medical needs in ophthalmic, neurological and psychiatric disorders, today held the grand ceremony to celebrate the opening of AffaMed Technologies in Beijing. AffaMed Technologies is the joint venture established between AffaMed and SIFI S.p.A. ("SIFI"), a leading international ophthalmology company headquartered in Italy, to develop, manufacture and commercialize premium intraocular lenses (“IOLs”) in the Greater China market. The ceremony was hosted by Dr. Yi HAN, General Manager of AffaMed Technologies, and attended by Dr. Dayao ZHAO, CEO of AffaMed, Mr. Ruilin SONG, President of China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association, Professor Xinghuai SUN, Chairman-designate of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Mr. Lei WANG, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.
"As a next milestone in the progress of AffaMed's business, the establishment of this new joint venture to introduce high-quality Italian intraocular lenses into the Greater China market represents a key step in our strategy to offer patients a complete portfolio of ophthalmic solutions covering diseases from the back to the front of the eye by incorporating the important category of IOL medical devices used in cataract surgery to strengthen and enhance our strong ophthalmic pipeline and capabilities", said Dr. Dayao ZHAO, CEO of AffaMed. “Thanks to the strong support from our investors, partners, and the Beijing municipal government at all levels, we will keep bringing more and better-quality products to the domestic market, promoting the progress and development of the industry and for the benefit of more patients."
Mr. Fabrizo Chines, CEO of SIFI, sent his congratulations via video, saying, "China and Italy have a long history of good communication and cooperation. This joint venture’s launch is a next step in this successful history and our team will aim for continuous innovation and development. We will work together to enable more solutions and bring more innovative and high-quality products to the Greater China market."
Dr. Yi HAN, General Manager of AffaMed Technologies, said, " AffaMed Technologies currently has exclusive rights to several premium Extended Depth of Focus (“EDOF”) IOLs in Greater China. It is our ambition to accelerate the clinical development pathway of these products to bring more quality clinical treatment options to Chinese patients at the earliest time."
AffaMed Technologies has the exclusive rights to the MINI WELL®, MINI WELL TORIC® and MINI WELL PROXA® lines of EDOF IOLs. As the industry-leading solutions for cataract refractive surgery, these IOLs can effectively correct refractive error, presbyopia and astigmatism, and help patients achieve spectacle-free, high-quality vision at all distances and at all times. AffaMed Technologies plans to be located in Beijing Changping Life Science Park and will develop, manufacture and commercialize premium IOLs in the Greater China market, including Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong.
