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Santen and Ube Announces Launch of Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension Treatment EYBELIS Ophthalmic Solution 0.002% in South Korea

February 1, 2021

February 1, 2021, Osaka and Ube, Japan – Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office in Osaka; hereinafter “Santen”) and Ube Industries, Ltd. (Head Office in Ube; hereinafter “Ube Industries”) are pleased to announce that Santen Pharmaceutical Korea Co., Ltd. launched the glaucoma and ocular hypertension treatment EYBELIS Ophthalmic Solution 0.002% (JAN*: Omidenepag Isopropyl; hereinafter, “EYBELIS”) today, following Korea’s national health insurance listing.

Santen and Ube Industries have been co-developing EYBELIS as an ophthalmic solution to treat glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Omidenepag Isopropyl, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in EYBELIS, licensed out from Ube Industries to Santen, is a selective EP2 receptor agonist and is an ocular hypotensive agent with a new mechanism of action. EYBELIS Ophthalmic Solution 0.002% was launched in Japan in November 2018. South Korea is the first Asian country to sell EYBELIS other than Japan. Santen and Ube Industries have filed for the ophthalmic solution’s marketing approval in other Asian countries as well.

Glaucoma is a disorder that causes optic nerve damage, leading to visual field loss. Since the disorder is generally progressive and irreversible, early detection and treatment to control the progression of such damage and visual field defects are crucial in treatment, and lowering intraocular pressure is the most effective means of avoiding glaucomatous damage. Glaucoma is the primary cause of eye-disease-induced visual impairment (e.g., failing/loss of eyesight) in Japan, and, in South Korea, more than 970 thousand people suffer from this disease.1 Some predictions claim as of 2020 that the number of people with glaucoma worldwide reach 70.6 million.2

Santen and Ube Industries expect that providing a greater number of treatment options to the frontlines of healthcare will contribute to improving the quality of patients’ lives in South Korea.

  1. 1 Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in Korea (Code: H40)
  2. 2 World report on vision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.

About Santen

As a specialized company dedicated to ophthalmology, Santen carries out research, development, marketing, and sales of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, and medical devices. Santen is the market leader for prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals in Japan and its products now reach patients in over 60 countries. With scientific knowledge and organizational capabilities nurtured over a 130-year history, Santen provides products and services to contribute to the well-being of patients, their loved ones and consequently to society. For more information, please visit Santen’s website (www.santen.com).

About Ube Industries, Ltd.

Ube Industries (Head office: Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; President: Masato Izumihara) is a chemistry-focused company that is also engaged in the construction materials and machinery businesses. In its pharmaceutical business, Ube Industries aims to contribute to better health for everyone with community-based manufacturing of drugs using innovative technologies. Going forward, Ube Industries will continue creating promising new compounds for new medicines with a dual approach of pursuing drug discovery through internal and joint research and development projects, and manufacturing and supply of APIs and intermediates. For more details, please see Ube Industries' website (https://www.ube.co.jp/ube/en/).

Santen Forward-looking Statements

Information provided in this press release contains forward-looking statements. The achievement of these forecasts is subject to risk and uncertainty from various sources. Therefore, please note that the actual results may differ significantly from the forecasts. Business performance and financial conditions are subject to the effects of changes in regulations made by the governments of Japan and other nations concerning medical insurance, drug pricing and other systems, and to fluctuations in market variables such as interest rates and foreign exchange rates.

Contact

Contact
  • Corporate Communications Group
  • Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
  • E-mail: communication@santen.com

  • Ube Industries, Ltd.
  • General Affairs and Public Relations Group, General Affairs Department
  • E-mail: 35186u@ube-ind.co.jp