Novel Druggable Targets and Drug Delivery Systems in Ophthalmology

Santen, a Japanese pharmaceutical company leading in transformative solutions in both common and rare ophthalmological conditions, is seeking new druggable targets and ocular drug delivery systems, including both the front and the back of the eye.

Novel Druggable Targets:

• Diseases of interest include presbyopia, myopia, Fuchs dystrophy, new targets in glaucoma (not just for intraocular pressure lowering), retinitis pigmentosa, dry eye disease, dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), geographic atrophy and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis
• Open to different modalities including small molecules, biologics, gene therapy, cell therapy and drug repurposing
• Patient biomarkers related to the above mentioned diseases

Drug Delivery Systems:

• Non-invasive ocular drug delivery systems (e.g., cul-de-sac insert, drug delivery system for ocular surface). Requirements include sustained release (several days to weeks), easy administration, no irritation or discomfort, and a concrete development plan until clinical proof-of-concept
• Injectable drug delivery system for the periocular route. Requirements include potential 1-6 months release, thinner than 25G needle, and tolerable by the patient
• Open to all types of drug delivery vehicles including nanoparticles, microneedles, liposomes, nanowafers, etc

Out of Scope:

• Therapeutic approaches to treat cataract, uveitis, wet AMD and ocular cancer
• Contact lens and punctal plug drug delivery systems

Developmental Stages of Interest:

• Opportunities at basic research phase to late stage clinical trial are within scope, provided there is target validation
• Opportunities with in vitro proof‑of‑concept or in vivo pharmacokinetic and toxicity validation are of interest

Submission Information and Opportunity for Collaboration:

Submission of one page, 200-300 word briefs are encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g., relevant publications and patents. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information.

Santen is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, project/PhD funding, and research collaborations. Santen is looking to establish long-standing partnerships in the field of ophthalmology.