SHANGHAI, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reinforcing its ongoing commitment to leadership in the global medical technology market, Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today officially opened the China branch of the Boston Scientific Institute for Advancing Science (IAS) as well as its new Innovation Center in the country. Through these state-of-the-art facilities Boston Scientific expects to foster local talent while sustainably developing innovative technologies uniquely suited to the China market.

"'Advancing science for life' is at our core, and the facilities we are dedicating today demonstrate our commitment to innovation in professional education and dedication to saving and improving the health of Chinese patients through innovative technologies," said Michael F. Mahoney, president and chief executive officer, Boston Scientific  "China is key to our ongoing global expansion, and we believe that initiatives such as the IAS and Innovation Center will help us to continue adapting to the unique demands of the China market."

IAS: Professional Training Programs to Develop Top Talent in China's Growing Medical Industry

The IAS offers Chinese medical practitioners training in clinical practice and multidisciplinary programs in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Rhythm Management and Electrophysiology, Endoscopy, Peripheral Interventions and Urology and Women's Health. These programs are intended to raise medical professionals' awareness of the latest industry trends as well as their knowledge of innovative technologies.

All existing professional education programs or platforms in the market such as Horizon Academy and the company's E-Club project will be integrated into the IAS.  As the heart of Boston Scientific's professional education programs in China, it is anticipated that the IAS in Shanghai will offer training courses for more than 700 professionals every year. IAS is also expected to cooperate with top medical universities and colleges in China to launch clinical courses for students, contributing to the development of China's medical industry.

In addition to serving Chinese practitioners the IAS in Shanghai is intended to support other professional education opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.

"The IAS will offer various academic programs such as medical conferences, visiting experts' lectures, symposia on complex lesions, diagnostic and therapeutic technology classes, on-site operation training, and international exchange, as well as training programs that will reach numerous provincial-level hospitals throughout the country," said Warren Wang, vice president and managing director-China, Boston Scientific.  "Through the newly-opened institute, our global resource network and innovative technologies, we are confident that Boston Scientific can play a significant role in helping produce exceptional, highly-skilled medical professionals in cutting-edge disciplines to serve China."

Innovation Center: Serving the China Market through Tailor-Made Innovation

The Boston Scientific Innovation Center in China is designed to drive understanding of innovative technologies and advanced medical technology products.  The Center is fully equipped with the latest multimedia devices, demonstrating the company's cutting-edge research in disease treatment practices. The Innovation Center will also collect customer feedback to aid in the development of products and technologies customized for China, in collaboration with the Boston Scientific global R&D team.

About Boston Scientific in China 

Boston Scientific established its China headquarters in Shanghai in 1997 and now has branches and R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Core Boston Scientific businesses in China include cardiac intervention, cardiac rhythm management, endoscopic intervention, peripheral interventions and oncology and urology and women's health. As an R&D leader, the company provides high performance medical products and solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of assorted diseases and conditions. Boston Scientific strives to provide the most innovative global medical technology that is custom-tailored to fit the needs of Chinese patients. For more information, visit us at: www.bostonscientific.cn

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world.  As a global medical technology leader for more than 30 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare.  For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "anticipate," "expect," "project," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "intend" and similar words.  These forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and estimates using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance.  These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding our business plans and investments in China, our Institute for Advancing Science and its impact, and our products and technologies.  If our underlying assumptions turn out to be incorrect, or if certain risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements.  These factors, in some cases, have affected and in the future (together with other factors) could affect our ability to implement our business strategy and may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements expressed in this press release.  As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements.

Factors that may cause such differences include, among other things: future economic, competitive, reimbursement and regulatory conditions; new product introductions; demographic trends; intellectual property; litigation; financial market conditions; and future business decisions made by us and our competitors.  All of these factors are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of them are beyond our control.  For a further list and description of these and other important risks and uncertainties that may affect our future operations, see Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we may update in Part II, Item 1A – Risk Factors in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q we have filed or will file hereafter.  We disclaim any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which those expectations may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.  This cautionary statement is applicable to all forward-looking statements contained in this document.

CONTACT: 
Zhu Lin
(8621) 6141 5959 ext. 5725
Media Relations
Boston Scientific China
Lin.Zhu@bsci.com

Rene Xu 
(8621) 6141 5959 ext. 5735
Media Relations
Boston Scientific China
NaiwenRene.Xu@bsci.com

Michael Campbell
508-650-8023 (office)
Investor Relations
Boston Scientific Corporation
investor_relations@bsci.com

SOURCE Boston Scientific Corporation