Santen and Orbis International Join Forces to Expand Access to Training for Eye Care Professionals through Telemedicine Platform

OSAKA, Japan, June 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, Santen) and Orbis International today announced a partnership to develop a suite of digital training tools that will continue to help eye care professionals around the world build their skills. Through the three-year, global partnership, Orbis and Santen will create online courses, live surgical demonstrations, and artificial intelligence (AI) focused on glaucoma, a leading cause of avoidable blindness.

The digital tools will be available in Chinese, providing a best-in-class, standardized teaching curriculum in that language. The collaboration will utilize Orbis's award-winning telemedicine platform, Cybersight, which has some 25,000 users across 199 countries. Through this partnership, Santen, a global leader in ophthalmology with a strong focus in glaucoma, can enable access to these distant learning tools for more eye care professionals, especially in remote rural areas. By adding to the growing body of educational resources available in languages beyond English, Santen and Orbis aim to expand the number of eye care professionals who can benefit from the platform. 

"Santen values the advancements that can be made through collaboration and digital learning, and especially in times like these, this partnership will be another step forward for better eye care for millions of patients," said Shigeo Taniuchi, President and CEO of Santen. "Digital resources and solutions are critical to ensure doctors can provide optimal care to their patients. This partnership combines Orbis's innovative technology in ophthalmic training and our global industry knowledge to enhance our joint mission of improving eye health for people around the world."

"Technology has opened so many doors in our work to end avoidable blindness. This initial step in the new partnership with Santen is very significant for Orbis because it allows us to further strengthen Cybersight offerings and reach more ophthalmologists in more countries," said Dr. Danny Haddad, Chief of Programs at Orbis International. "As we increase eye care professionals' access to training in their local language, we are ensuring that more patients get the quality care they deserve."

This partnership will bring together two global leaders in eye health and ensure that eye care professionals and their patients will continue to benefit from the latest knowledge and technology. Virtual solutions that allow for distance learning and connection have never been more important. Amid the current public health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, record-breaking numbers of eye care professionals have registered for Cybersight and taken advantage of the platform's learning opportunities.

About Santen 
As a specialized company dedicated to ophthalmology, Santen carries out research, development, marketing, and sales of pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, and medical devices. Santen is the market leader for prescription ophthalmic pharmaceuticals in Japan and its products now reach patients in over 60 countries. With scientific knowledge and organizational capabilities nurtured over a nearly 130-year history, Santen provides products and services to contribute to the well-being of patients, their loved ones and consequently to society. For more information, please visit Santen's website (www.santen.com).

About Orbis International 
Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness for nearly four decades. Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Working in collaboration with local partners, including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. Orbis operates the world's only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft, and an award-winning telemedicine platform, Cybersight. For the past nine consecutive years, Orbis has achieved Charity Navigator's coveted four-star rating for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency, placing Orbis in the top 3% of U.S. charities. To learn more, please visit orbis.org.

Santen Forward-looking Statements  
Information provided in this press release contains forward-looking statements. The achievement of these forecasts is subject to risk and uncertainty from various sources. Therefore, please note that the actual results may differ significantly from the forecasts. Business performance and financial conditions are subject to the effects of changes in regulations made by the governments of Japan and other nations concerning medical insurance, drug pricing and other systems, and to fluctuations in market variables such as interest rates and foreign exchange rates.

Santen Contact
Akiko Yoshikawa
Corporate Communications Group Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
E-mail: [email protected]   Tel.: +81-6-4802-9360

Orbis Media Contact
Kristin Taylor
Associate Director, Global Marketing and Communications
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Santen

Related Links

http://www.santen.com