Striving to achieve
“Happiness with Vision” under our
new Corporate Philosophy Framework

Since its establishment in Japan in 1890, and guided by its Core Principle, “Tenki ni sanyo suru,” Santen has been committed to helping people maintain and improve their eye health. Today, the company is engaged in global research and development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products in the field of ophthalmology, supporting the eye health of approximately 50 million people in more than 60 countries and regions around the world. 

In February 2025, ahead of the announcement of the FY2025-2029 Medium-Term Management Plan, we updated our Corporate Philosophy Framework. We spoke with Fumiyasu Ako, Corporate Officer and Chief of Staff (CEO), who led this initiative, to learn more about its purpose and significance.

The background to this review lies in the lessons learned from the previous medium-term management plan, which was formulated in 2021.

That medium-term management plan clearly outlined our long-term goals but our outlook for achieving those goals was overly optimistic, and we ended up with a series of challenges resulting from our lack of expertise in the new areas in which we were investing. As a result, although sales remained strong, profits did not, and, ultimately, we were forced to implement painful structural reforms.

To continue contributing to patients and society while responding to an ever-changing world, it became necessary to think seriously about Santen’s unique potential and then determine what aspects of our business and organization should be changed and what should remain unchanged. Our Corporate Philosophy Framework was one such aspect.

The previous Corporate Philosophy Framework was structurally complex, and one of the main challenges was that employee values had not been fully implemented in the workplace. After extensive discussions between senior management and key members across the company, it was decided that the Core Principle of “Tenki ni sanyo suru” and the world that Santen ultimately strives to achieve, “Happiness with Vision,” should remain unchanged as our enduring purpose and reason for existence, while the values that serve as the foundation for actions and decisions designed to achieve these goals should be adapted to the times.

If we wanted all our employees to really grasp the Core Principle and Our Vision and realize Santen’s unique value, then we needed to create a set of values that employees outside Japan—who now account for approximately half of Santen’s total workforce—found easy to understand. So, our purpose was to express these values in simple terms that could be directly linked to day-to-day activities.

I set up the review organization and led the Corporate Philosophy Framework renewal project. To promote the project within the company, we selected 15 ambassadors from the Corporate Division and other business divisions to work together on the review.

Despite the diverse group of members, I was most impressed by the surprising level of agreement about what we wanted to achieve at Santen and what Our Values needed to be. We have a Core Principle of “Tenki ni sanyo suru,” and a clear mission to contribute to doctors and patients through our products. I felt that Santen employees share a deep understanding of this Core Principle and our business and saw no major gaps between their individual aspirations and those of the company.

At the same time, there was heated discussion about how best to express our values, because we needed to choose simple, clear words that could be understood by employees around the globe.

Members of the review team examined the Corporate Philosophy Framework from its founding to the present day, including the factors that shaped the Corporate Philosophy Framework in each successive era, and identified the elements that the company required today. Then we created new Values while incorporating input from global management.

Along with the Values that we hold dear, we also defined our Guiding Principle, putting into words the approach to work that Santen has cherished for many years and defining it as “We carefully consider what is essential in each situation, determine what we should do, and act quickly.” Using these principles as the basis for our actions and decisions, we will strive to put our Core Principle into practice and achieve Our Vision.

The FY2025-2029 Medium-Term Management Plan announced on May 21 was created based on our new Corporate Philosophy Framework. In addition, the updated Guiding Principle and Values have been incorporated into the personnel evaluation system that was introduced in April. We will strive to enhance corporate value by developing consistent human resource and business strategies based on the Corporate Philosophy Framework. 

We believe that fostering a workforce that shares the same philosophy and enabling all employees to leverage Santen’s unique strengths is the most sustainable corporate value for Santen. To achieve this, it is essential that all employees understand the new Corporate Philosophy Framework and put it into practice. We are now undertaking a variety of initiatives to promote the philosophy, including publishing messages from executives on the internal portal site and holding workshops for all employees at each location.

The project to update our Corporate Philosophy Framework is not simply a redefining of our philosophy. In order for each and every employee to take the Values and Guiding Principle to heart and reflect them in their day-to-day work, it is also important to incorporate them into our human resources processes. Starting in fiscal year 2025, our new performance evaluation system will include an assessment of whether employees’ actions are in line with the new Guiding Principle and Values. Through this process, the Corporate Philosophy Framework will permeate every corner of the organization and form the foundation of Santen’s corporate value.

The plan is for these activities to continue over the long term. The goal is to connect the Corporate Philosophy Framework to each person’s daily work so that it ultimately becomes an intrinsic part of their conscious decisions and actions.

The most important aspect of the new Corporate Philosophy Framework is the focus on our Core Principle, which reminds us that Santen exists to serve patients. For me, it brings to mind a memorable experience when I was stationed in North America.

I was visiting an ophthalmologist in Canada and had the chance to observe glaucoma surgery using Santen’s Preserflo MicroShunt device. When the doctor introduced me as a representative of Santen, the patients told me how grateful they were. Being able to see firsthand the life-changing impact that we can have on patients is something I will never forget.

The takeaway is that if Santen is going to deliver its products to as many people as possible, then it needs to become a trusted partner for ophthalmologists around the world.

Going forward, we will continue to put patients first and strive for further corporate growth so that we can respond to the unmet needs of patients and healthcare professionals. Our new Corporate Philosophy Framework will support our growth and pave the way for a society where patients and their loved ones can live happily. I look forward to walking together with you on this journey!