Solta Medical, Inc. (“Solta“), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., announced today a brand enforcement action taken against a distributor of counterfeit Thermage® machines.

 

 

Solta is the registered proprietor of the well-known Thermage® trademark in Singapore. The Thermage® CPT System is a medical device which is registered with the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (“HSA”) for use in dermatological and general surgical procedures for electrocoagulation, hemostasis, non-invasive facial and torso skin tightening and skin contouring.

 

On 3 June 2015, pursuant to a criminal search and seizure warrant granted by the Singapore State Courts, Solta conducted a raid at the showroom of I Health International Pte Ltd (“I Health“) (UEN No. 201407554M) located at 3 Woodlands Road, #16-13, The Tennery, Singapore 677901. Amongst others, counterfeit Thermage® machines andinfringing brochures were seized from the premises.

 

 

Under section 49 of the Singapore Trade Marks Act (Cap. 332), it is an offence to import, sell, offer or expose for sale and/or have in one’s possession for the purposes of trade, any goods to which a registered mark (such as Thermage®) is falsely applied. Anyone who is found guilty of such an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of up to SGD 100,000, imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.

 

 

Solta has never authorized the production and sale of these counterfeit Thermage® machines which were manufactured in China, imported into Singapore, and supplied by I Health to a number of local clinics, spas, and salons.

 

 

Genuine Thermage® machines are medical devices registered with the HSA as Class C (moderate to high risk). Importers and suppliers need to procure the relevant dealers’ licenses from the HSA. Under Singapore’s applicable aesthetic treatment regulations, only qualified medical practitioners may administer Thermage® treatments to patients.

 

 

Unlike some counterfeits, genuine Thermage® machines have handpieces with detachable tips. These treatment tips are designed for one-time use to maintain sterility and to ensure patient safety. They are manufactured with a very thin membrane material designed to uniformly disperse radiofrequency energy across the entire volume of a treatment area. Even a minor imperfection on the tip membrane surface, or excessive usage beyond its pre-programmed maximum usage, may lead to membrane breakdown and could result in tissue burns to a patient. Therefore, members of the public should exercise extreme caution when signing up for “Thermage” procedures or treatments from clinics, spas, or salons in Singapore which have purchased products from unauthorized distributors. To confirm that a clinic, spa or salon is a customer of Solta’s authorized distributor, please contact Solta directly at +65 6834 9112.