PALO ALTO, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On Saturday, May 27, 2006, Varian Medical Systems hosted a radiation oncology technology symposium in Beijing, China, followed on Sunday, May 28, by a ground breaking ceremony that launched construction of a new manufacturing facility for producing medical linear accelerators in China.
Over 40 senior clinicians, including hospital department directors, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists from 31 clinical institutions attended the Saturday technology symposium, where Varian CEO Timothy E. Guertin talked about the company’s long tradition of innovation, current technology for delivering advanced forms of radiation therapy including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and anticipated future developments in the field of radiotherapy.
“Varian established its strategy for expanding in the China market based on input from our existing Chinese customers,” said Guertin. “This symposium gave us a great opportunity to share ideas and gather additional feedback from clinicians on how we can best serve the China market. Much of what we heard affirmed our plans for bringing to China a specially-designed linear accelerator -- made in China for China.”
Clinicians at the symposium represented many of the major Chinese cancer treatment centers, including top hospitals and university centers from Beijing, Fujian, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou and many others.
On Sunday, May 28, the Chinese clinicians joined officials from the Beijing Drug Administration, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Industrial Promotion, and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) at a ground breaking ceremony that celebrated the establishment of a new state-of-the-art plant where Varian, through a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE), will manufacture medical linear accelerators uniquely designed for the Chinese market.
A number of officials addressed the gathering, including Mr. Cheng Lianyuan, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Industrial Promotion; Mr. Zhao Xinxin, vice-president of the BDA Management Commission; Ms. Lu Aili, vice director of the Beijing Drug Administration; Timothy Guertin, Varian CEO; and Andy Thorson, Varian’s vice president for business development.
The event was covered by Biz China, a business news program that airs on CCTV Channel 9, China’s official English language station.
Varian’s expansion in China positions the company to meet increasing global demand for its medical linear accelerators. It also builds on Varian’s existing sales and service operation in China, where the company has an installed base of more than 250 linear accelerators in treatment centers throughout the country.
Note: event images available from Meryl Ginsberg, meryl.ginsberg@varian.com.
ABOUT VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world’s leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with radiotherapy and neurological conditions with radiosurgery. The company is also a premier supplier of X- ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 3,600 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America and Europe and in its 56 sales and support offices around the world. The company is now adding a manufacturing facility in Beijing, China. Additional information is available on the company’s web site at http://www.varian.com/.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release regarding future business, events, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates, and other similar matters, including, but not limited to, statements using the terms “anticipated,” “will,” and “plans” constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, the risks described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent the Company’s judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements because of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contacts: Spencer Sias 650-424-5782 spencer.sias@varian.com Meryl Ginsberg 650-424-6444 meryl.ginsberg@varian.com
Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
CONTACT: Spencer Sias, +1-650-424-5782, or spencer.sias@varian.com, orMeryl Ginsberg, +1-650-424-6444, or meryl.ginsberg@varian.com, both ofVarian Medical Systems, Inc.
Web site: http://www.varian.com//
