Align Technology sees double-digit growth in 2014

Align Technology has announced its financial results for the 2014 business year, during which it generated an annual revenue total of $761.7 million (499.47 million pounds).

This represented a year-on-year increase of 15.4 percent, with fourth quarter sales reaching $198.6 million, an 11.4 percent yearly improvement.

During the final three months of the year, clear aligner shipments amounted to 126,900 cases, up 14.2 percent year-over-year, with international shipments making up 32 percent of the worldwide total – up 29.2 percent annually.

For the first quarter of 2015, the company expects clear aligner case shipments to be between 124,400 and 127,400, with net revenues in a range of $187.3 million to $192.4 million.

Thomas Prescott, Align's president and chief executive officer, said: "Our strong performance internationally was driven by a combination of increased utilisation by orthodontists in all countries, as well as a continued effort to add new Invisalign-trained doctors."

The company's success is based on its Invisalign clear aligner product, which was launched in 1999 and is now sold in more than 45 countries.