Chapter 1 : Birth of Daigaku Eye Drops
Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was founded more than
115 years ago. The Company is now a leading ophthalmic
pharmaceutical company in the Japanese and global markets,
with sales of ophthalmics (eye drops) representing over
80 percent of Company sales. However, eye drops were
not the Company's original business. Nine years after
its foundation, Santen launched
Daigaku Eye Drops
, which became a hit product and supported the
Company's growth in the early years. Today, more than
a century after the launch of our first product, the
Daigaku Eye Drops
brand remains the longest-selling
eye drop brand in Japan.
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| 1890 |
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Foundation |
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Gold signboard of Taguchi Santendo |
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The history of Santen
began in 1890, when the founder Kenkichi Taguchi
opened Taguchi Santendo in Osaka, Japan. The main
product at that time was a cold medicine called
Heburin-gan
, which was formulated from
a recently discovered Western drug. Its superior
sedative effects made it such a hit product that
imitations appeared nationwide the following year.
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| 1899 |
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Daigaku Eye Drops launched |
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In the early days
of the Meiji Era, foreign doctors visiting Japan
were surprised at the prevalence of ophthalmic
disorders. The great demand for eye drops in Japan
led to the launch of
Daigaku Eye Drops
. With the confident advertising slogan, "With
modern progress, eye drops have become this outstanding"
and a trademark featuring a gentleman with a mustache
and glasses that conjured up the image of an authoritative
university professor, the product soon became
well known nationwide.
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| 1925 |
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Santendo Co., Ltd. incorporated |
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Santendo Co., Ltd.
was incorporated with paid-in capital of one million
yen. Products in those days included
Heburin-gan
,
Daigaku Eye Drops
,
Santen Cough Medicine
and the constipation treatment
Kentsu-gan
.
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| 1935 |
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Yodogawa Plant opened |
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The Yodogawa Plant
was opened in Osaka in 1935, and later became
the site of Santen's Head Office. Products manufactured
at the time included eye drops, menthol cream,
powdered medicine for stomach disorders, gastrointestinal
medicines, anti-pyretics, anthelmintics, anti-diarrhea
drugs, drugs for abdominal pain and cough medicine.
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