Santen has forged two separate partnerships with Google’s life sciences sister company Verily and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) whose initiative is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Both partnerships are aimed to drive the expansion of the latest technological innovations and digital solutions in ophthalmology across Europe and globally.
Combining Santen’s technology in the ophthalmology field and Verily’s expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and building hardware and software-based devices, the new company plans to develop and commercialise ophthalmic devices, including IoT medical devices.
Shigeo Taniuchi, president and COO of Santen said: “Santen has actively promoted collaboration and open innovation with various external organisations in order to enhance the Quality of Life for people around the world through eye health. Digital technology is a transformational driver in health and we hope that this joint venture will be a significant step forward in transforming the way of eye care for people around the world.”
Dimitri Azar, clinical lead, Opthalmology Programmes at Verily added: “We are thrilled to partner with Santen, a global company with an established presence in the ophthalmology industry, to develop novel solutions leveraging AI and microelectronics for better eye care. By combining Santen’s eye care expertise and Verily’s advanced technology, our joint venture is well-positioned to tackle innovative projects in ophthalmology diseases such as glaucoma, dry eye and other opthalmological diseases. We’ll explore ways to use technology not only to diagnose disease, but to improve disease management, and ultimately, further precision medicine in ophthalmology.”
ITU will support “Be He@lthy, Be Mobile” (BHBM) and will focus preventable non-communicable diseases in the ophthalmology area with the aim of achieving eye health. BHBM is a digital health initiative between the WHO and the ITU in support of the WHO's expansion of services in non-communicable diseases.
This initiative is designed to raise awareness of the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases through the use of mobile phones and digital devices in order to realise healthy lifestyles. It is estimated that almost the entire world population (97%) lives within reach of a mobile cellular signal, and today its service is expanding digital health services and geographic reach, including the distribution of health information and content to end users through SMS (short message service) and digital device apps.
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, said: "The participation of Santen in BHBM initiative highlights the importance of investing in technologies which can empower people to manage their own health and for medical professionals to better provide care from prevention to diagnosis and treatment. At ITU, we are expanding our partnership and collaboration with various stakeholders in order to bring the benefits of technology to the people, in every area and every walk of life."
