Santen EMEA making a difference
for people and society through
a comprehensive approach to eye health

Santen entered the European market in 1994, and currently operates in approximately 50 countries and regions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. With our overseas business having grown to account for 40% of Santen’s total sales and profit contribution, we would like to introduce the EMEA business, one of the key drivers of Santen’s global growth.

The product portfolio of Santen EMEA is focused on the areas of glaucoma and dry eye. We provide an end-to-end offering of solutions for glaucoma treatment—from first-line treatments in the form of eye drops to devices used in surgical treatment for advanced cases. “Based on our market research, we estimate that one out of five glaucoma patients in EMEA relies on Santen products,” explained Marianthi Psaha, Head of EMEA business.

Despite being considered a mature market, glaucoma still has significant unmet medical needs. To uphold our commitment to serve patients, Santen continuously explores possibilities to expand our product offering to address these unmet needs. One key highlight was the launch of a novel therapy for the treatment of glaucoma in December 2023, representing the first innovation in the medical management of glaucoma in 25 years in EMEA. “Even in an established therapeutic area like glaucoma, this is an example of Santen's commitment to providing patients with the most optimal solutions,” said Marianthi.

In EMEA, each country and region have their own unique healthcare insurance systems, legal regulations and ophthalmology treatment practices requiring a tailored approach to the diverse characteristics of each market to do what’s best for patients. Despite the diversity and complexity of this market environment, as well as being a relative latecomer to the market, Santen has achieved significant growth over the past 10 years. Marianthi attributes this success to two factors.

First, Santen EMEA strives to turn its market environment and organizational diversity into an advantage by overcoming the challenges as a team and strengthening cross-functional and inter-regional collaboration along the way. To make the most of the various leadership styles within the organization in regions and countries in EMEA with diverse cultures, languages and people, Santen EMEA is building on the principles of patient centricity, transparency, accountability, commitment to performance and collaboration to bring the best out of the diversity the team collectively represents.

A key element that guides our decision-making is, ‘What is best for the patient?’ By working in accordance with this principle, we have been able to build Santen’s presence in the EMEA ophthalmology community with innovative approaches tailored to each country and region.”

Second, the organizational culture fostered by Santen and the “human power” of each individual are also strengths that promote commercial excellence and support the growth of the EMEA. “Santen, with its history of 130 years, has a Japanese culture of cooperation that promotes humility and respect for each other. In addition, the principle of putting patients at the center of everything we do is deeply ingrained in our culture and way of working. I am always proud to hear that the high quality of our team members is highly appreciated by our customers and stakeholders such as HCPs, ophthalmological societies and patient organizations in EMEA.”

Marianthi joined Santen EMEA in October 2021 and was appointed Head of EMEA Business in July 2023. Throughout her career, she has been living and exemplifying her principles of “having an impact and making a difference with every action that you do”. Marianthi says that she was drawn to the field of ophthalmology because of the importance of eye health to society and patients, which is directly linked to quality of life (QOL), and the fact that she can make a difference in patient lives by providing solutions that allow them to have the best care.

Aiming to making a difference does come with its challenges. Looking at the current environment in the EMEA region, Marianthi said: "As medical costs in Europe rise, ophthalmological diseases receive less attention compared to life-threatening conditions. However, it is crucial to recognize the true cost of vision loss-not just in terms of quality of life but also its profound social and economic impact. Santen EMEA is committed to raising awareness about the importance of eye health and collaborating with academic societies and patient groups to advocate for policies that ensure equitable access to essential medical solutions for all."

“Santen EMEA aims to be a trusted partner in the field of ophthalmology for HCPs, patients and society as a whole. To that end, Santen continues to invest in product development to meet the evolving needs of patients in the field of ophthalmology. The aim is to provide solutions that cover the disease across the entire patient journey and always go a step beyond to help improve the overall treatment of glaucoma through education and support.”

Marianthi believes that putting patients at the core of everything we do is the main driver for the past and future success of Santen. “Our organization aims to ‘make a difference’ for patients, our customers and the society as a whole. The more we can offer to patients, the greater the difference that we can make. This will naturally be reflected in our business performance.”

The next step for Santen EMEA is to become trusted partner for all stakeholders in the field of ophthalmology.

“Our job is to provide solutions that enable HCPs to provide patients the best possible treatment options. To achieve this, we need to ensure that the voices of patients are reflected at every stage—from product development through patient access to novel products.”

“With our goal of becoming trusted partner for the entire ecosystem, we will continue to focus on patient-centric thought and action. By doing so, I believe we can have a positive impact on the lives of patients in the field of ophthalmology.”