Clearside Biomedical, Inc. & Santen, Inc.
Expands Previous Research Collaboration to Include 2nd Largest Ophthalmic Market
Clearside Biomedical, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drug therapies to treat blinding diseases of the eye, and Santen Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., today announced the expansion of their research collaboration to include the field of glaucoma. The two companies have been working together since January 2013 to develop drugs to treat diseases afflicting the retina and choroid that can eventually lead to blindness. The expanded collaboration will now study the use of Clearside’s proprietary microinjector to deliver sustained intraocular pressure-lowering medications.
“We are very pleased with our current retinal disease research collaboration focusing on select Santen sustained-release formulations administered via suprachoroidal (SCS) administration using Clearside’s proprietary microinjector,” said Yusuf Ali, PhD, Vice President, Research and Development at Santen. “We look forward to expanding our relationship with Clearside to investigate Clearside’s proprietary methods of accessing the SCS for the treatment of additional blinding diseases such as glaucoma.”
“Santen has been an excellent collaborator in exploring the emerging field of SCS administration. Their access to new compounds and formulation technology has helped us understand the possibilities of SCS administration,” stated Daniel White, Clearside’s president and CEO. “Our collaborative goal is to provide effective and safe long-term drug therapy via SCS administration that may eliminate the daily requirement of eye drop therapy to treat causes leading to glaucoma."