Santen and KYORIN announce joint marketing agreement in Japan for allergic conjunctivitis treatment Alesion® Eyelid Cream 0.5%
July 13, 2026, Osaka, Japan – Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka City, Osaka; hereinafter Santen) and KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter KYORIN) today announced the conclusion of an agreement for joint marketing in Japan of Alesion® eyelid cream 0.5%, (generic name: epinastine hydrochloride, hereinafter Alesion® Cream), a long-acting treatment for allergic conjunctivitis.
Alesion® Cream is a treatment for allergic conjunctivitis developed by Santen with the aim of improving patient adherence and reducing treatment burden compared with conventional anti-allergic eye drops. As a cream formulation applied once daily to the periocular area (upper and lower eyelids), it has been marketed in Japan since May 22, 2024. Under the agreement, Santen will continue to be responsible for manufacturing, product distribution, and detailing for medical institutions specializing in the field of ophthalmology, with KYORIN handling detailing for medical institutions outside this field from around August 2026.
The two partners—KYORIN, with expertise in allergic diseases and a strong sales and marketing platform in the respiratory and otolaryngology fields, and Santen, a company specialized in ophthalmology, expect the joint marketing agreement to enable them to deliver Alesion® Cream, a new treatment option for allergic conjunctivitis, to as many patients as possible, thereby contributing to improved patient quality of life (QOL).
About Alesion® Cream 0.5%
Allergic conjunctivitis is typically treated with anti-allergy eye drops (mediator release inhibitors and histamine H1 receptor antagonists) which require application to the eye twice or four times a day. Alesion® Cream, which requires application only once daily to the periocular area (upper and lower eyelids), is the world’s first cream treatment for allergic conjunctivitis. It was developed by Santen in the hope that this new formulation will eliminate the burden for patients to take their required dose, thereby improving patient adherence. Alesion® Cream’s active ingredient is epinastine hydrochloride, a histamine H1 receptor antagonist which suppresses the release of chemical mediators from mast cells, making it an effective treatment option for the condition.
* Alesion® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim KG.
About Santen
Santen is a global pharmaceutical company committed to advancing eye health and improving lives through better vision. Founded in 1890 in Osaka, Japan, Santen makes use of more than 135 years of experience in research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to help people around the globe maintain and improve their eye health. Santen focuses exclusively on eye health and its portfolio includes glaucoma, dry eye, infection, allergy, age-related macular degeneration, and myopia. Santen’s products and services are available in more than 60 countries and regions. Guided by its Core Principle “Tenki ni sanyo suru” – Exploring the secrets and mechanisms of nature in order to contribute to people’s health – Santen combines its expertise with deep patient focus to contribute to the realization of “Happiness with Vision.”
For more information, please visit https://www.santen.com/en.
About KYORIN
KYORIN operates under the corporate philosophy, "KYORIN continues to fulfil its mission of cherishing life and benefiting society by contributing to better health." Based on this principle, we aim to continuously provide high-value new drugs that meet medical needs, striving to become a company that contributes broadly to people's health. In drug discovery, we focus our research efforts on the therapeutic areas of pain and autoimmune disorders and neuromuscular disease, working to create innovative new drugs that meet significant medical needs. In sales, we implement a Franchise Customer (FC) strategy, concentrating our resources on specialized areas, respiratory, otolaryngology, and urology.
https://www.kyorin-pharm.co.jp/en/
For media inquiries:
Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications
E-mail: communication@santen.com
KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Corporate Planning
Tel: +81-3-6374-9702
