Syntellix AG has achieved a major regulatory breakthrough with the approval of its bioabsorbable metallic implants by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), granting the Singapore-based biomedical company access to the world's largest medical device market with over 1.4 billion people. The approval represents what CEO Professor Dr. Utz Claassen described as "the greatest and most important success in the company's history" after more than seven years of focused efforts on the Chinese market.
Strategic Market Expansion Achievement
The NMPA approval positions Syntellix as the only company worldwide with approvals for bioabsorbable metallic implants across countries representing more than 5.5 billion inhabitants, or over two-thirds of the global population. Prior to the China approval, the company had already secured regulatory clearance in 73 countries and regions across five continents, including all of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and key Asian markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and India.
"After more than 17 years of work and more than 7 years of focusing on China alone, we have achieved what almost everyone considered impossible," stated Claassen. "As a startup from Hanover with its operational heart in Singapore, we have written a pioneering story worldwide, whose global medical success is now unstoppable."
The strategic importance of the Chinese market extends beyond population size. According to Claassen, "The largest hospitals in China individually have higher patient volumes and more operations for our highly innovative products than most countries in the European Union."
MAGNEZIX® Technology and Clinical Evidence
Syntellix's MAGNEZIX® implants represent a breakthrough in orthopedic surgery as bioabsorbable metallic devices that eliminate the need for implant removal procedures. More than 50 medical and scientific publications have documented the safety, efficacy, and reliability of these implants, with studies describing them as "advantageous" and even "clinically superior" to conventional titanium implants for numerous clinical applications.
The company has completed tens of thousands of successful surgeries globally, achieving what it describes as "the highest level of patient satisfaction." The technology has earned multiple prestigious recognitions, including the Innovation Award of the German Economy, the German Healthcare Industry Future Award, the German Medical Award, and the German Innovation Award in Gold.
Singapore Manufacturing Hub Strategy
Syntellix Asia Pte Ltd, the company's wholly-owned Singapore subsidiary, serves as the operational heart of the global organization. The manufacturing facility for MAGNEZIX® implants is located in JTC's Tuas Biomedical Park, strategically positioned to serve Asian markets more efficiently than European production sites.
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) provided initial grants to support the establishment of the manufacturing presence and global sales hub. "I would like to sincerely thank the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for its far-sighted contribution to the operational and structural foundation of our rollout in Asia," Claassen noted.
The Asia-centric production strategy targets the combined markets of China, India, and ASEAN, which together represent more than 3.5 billion people. This population base is "more than 40 times the population of the Federal Republic of Germany, while at the same time experiencing significantly greater dynamics in terms of population growth, market growth, and economic power and perspectives," according to the company.
Regulatory Pathway and Market Access
Syntellix had previously been granted the accelerated 'innovative pathway' by the NMPA due to the exceptional benefits of its products. The approval process was described as "the most complex, intensive, and sophisticated approval process Syntellix has ever undergone in terms of product safety and quality management systems."
The company's subsidiary structure includes Syntellix China Pte Ltd, Syntellix Philippines Incorporated in San Juan City, and Syntellix India Private Limited with operations in New Delhi and Jaipur, Rajasthan. This network enables comprehensive market coverage across major Asian healthcare systems.
Future Market Development
With regulatory approval secured, Syntellix is positioned to capitalize on China's vast healthcare infrastructure and growing medical device market. The company plans to use its Singapore facility as both an Asia-wide and global sales hub, creating additional employment opportunities in Singapore while setting "new international standards in biomedical engineering."
Syntellix AG, already a public company under German stockholding law, is preparing for an IPO on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). The preparations have been ongoing for several years with support from Singaporean banks and law firms, coordinated under SGX management leadership.
