Santen expands its business development efforts

Napa, CA

-Santen Inc. has announced the establishment of a satellite office in Irvine, CA, which will be the base of operations for its business development staff.

“We are focused on the acquisition of innovative compounds and products in three key areas: retina, glaucoma, and dry eye,” said Adrienne Graves, PhD, president and chief executive officer at Santen. “The Irvine location will facilitate the business development interactions necessary for building a robust global pipeline, particularly for increasing our presence in the U.S. market.”

The company said it continues to expand its clinical and business development efforts aggressively to support its international expansion. Currently, Santen has four compounds in U.S. clinical development for the glaucoma and corneal disorder therapeutic categories, according to a prepared statement. During the past year, Santen has entered into partnership agreements with Bausch & Lomb, MacuSight, and Merck.

“Locating the business development team in this major regional cluster of ophthalmic companies and specialized venture funds allows participation in a well-developed network, increasing access to opportunities in support of Santen’s global strategic focus,” said Schalon Newton, EDM, Santen’s vice president of strategic marketing and business development.

Santen has four FDA-approved drugs currently marketed in the United States. Since late 2003, Vistakon Pharmaceuticals has had sole U.S. distribution rights for these products: levofloxacin ophthalmic solution 1.5% (Iquix); levofloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.5% (Quixin); timolol ophthalmic solution 0.25%, 0.5% (Betimol); and pemirolast potassium ophthalmic solution 0.1% (Alamast). Santen continues to have responsibility for manufacturing, clinical, and regulatory activities associated with all four of these products, according to the release.