The First Korean Firm to Develop Breast Prosthesis
Hans Biomed Corp., the first Korean company to develop and produce a breast prosthesis, is seeking to expand its market overseas.
The company held a news conference on Oct. 18 to launch its new product called "BellaGel Micro Golden Line" and announced that it will expand its market to foreign countries, including the United States and China.
Hans Biomed has developed the first Korean silicone gel breast prosthesis in 2008 and received sales approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2015. It is Asia's first European-certified breast implant.
Hans Biomed is the only company that produces and sells domestically developed products in Korea's breast prosthesis market where eight companies are competing. In addition to the breast prosthesis, it is also producing artificial skin, bone transplant products, face lifting thread and hair transplant devices.
The company said it will go after foreign markets by using “BellaGel Micro” products that were released in August last year. In the domestic market, it has decided to focus on marketing “Golden Line” products as they are suitable for small chests
Micro-texture-type breast implants have low side effects due to their high human affinity compared to current products. They also improves patients' convenience since it has a soft touch and no breast massage is needed after surgery.
Hans Biomed has already filed an application for permission to sell BellaGel Micro products in China and is preparing to enter the U.S. It is determined to challenge Allergan and Mentor, the two multinational pharmaceutical companies that have long dominated the global breast implant market. Starting from next year, it is planning to start preparations to build a production plant in the U.S.
"We expect China to give us the green light for sale of BellaGel Micro sometime in the fourth quarter of next year," said Lim Min-kyu, head of Hans Biomed's marketing team. “In the U.S., we hope to obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration by 2022 and start sales from 2023.”