Santen Receives INESSS Recommendation for Verkazia(TM) (cyclosporine 0.1%) Eye Drops

TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Santen Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Santen" TSE: 4536), a global company focused exclusively on ophthalmology, announced that the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) issued a recommendation to include Verkazia™ (cyclosporine 0.1%) eye drops on the lists of drugs for the treatment of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis. This recommendation marks an important step towards providing patients access to this new formulation of cyclosporine eye drops in the Province of Québec.

For more information, please visit: Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) recommendation: Verkazia

About Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a rare and potentially debilitating ocular allergic disease.¹ Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is characterized by allergic inflammation of the ocular surface, with clinical manifestations involving the tarsal (palpebral) and/or bulbar conjunctiva that can have a seasonal course, but also may be chronic with acute exacerbations.² Key signs and symptoms of VKC include photophobia, conjunctival hyperemia, itching, stringy mucous discharge, giant papillae on the upper tarsal conjunctiva, papillae and gelatinous infiltrates on the limbus with white-yellow nodules (Horner-Trantas dots), superficial punctate keratitis, and corneal shield ulcers.^2-4

About Verkazia^TM
Verkazia^TM cyclosporine 0.1% topical ophthalmic emulsion indicated for treatment of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis in children from 4 years of age through adolescence.

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 more than 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).

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.

Contact
Carol Stiff
Head of Canada
Santen Canada Inc.
E-mail: Carol.Stiff@santen.com      
Tel: +1-416-918-7751

¹ Brémond-Gignac D, Donadieu J, Leonardi A, et al. Prevalence of vernal keratoconjunctivitis: a rare disease Br J Ophthalmol.2008;92:1097e1102
² Leonardi A. Management of vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Ophthalmol Ther. 2013;2:73e88
³ Aragona P, Romeo GF, Puzzolo D, et al. Impression cytology of the conjunctival epithelium in patients with vernal conjunctivitis. Eye (Lond). 1996;10:82e85.
⁴ Vichyanond P, Pacharn P, Pleyer U, Leonardi A. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis: a severe allergic eye disease with remodeling changes. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2014;25:314-322

SOURCE Santen