SINGAPORE – The Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) is expanding its partnership with Japan’s Santen Pharmaceutical with a new $21 million research collaboration that aims to develop treatments for vision-threatening eye diseases such as glaucoma and myopia.

The Santen-SERI Open Innovation Center (SONIC) 2.0 is a three-year initiative, which will run from December 2025 to November 2028, combining Santen’s pharmaceutical expertise with SERI’s clinical and translational research capabilities.

Key research programmes under the collaboration include research and development into novel compounds for treating glaucoma, as well as investigating anti-scarring agents – which can help prevent vision loss caused by excessive scar tissue due to eye disease and after surgery – for multiple diseases.

The collaboration will also see the two work together on developing improved treatments for myopia control as well as exploring the use of technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) in evaluating potential therapies for presbyopia, the age-related condition which impacts the eye’s ability to focus at nearer distances.

It is supported under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan, which aims to enhance the nation’s research and development.

The three-year initiative aims to bring two new treatments for glaucoma and myopia to the clinical stage, where trials are conducted on a drug’s safety and efficacy in humans, as well as expand the pipeline for ophthalmic drugs for Asia and the rest of the world.

“SONIC 2.0 is expected to deliver tangible translational outcomes and contribute to Singapore’s biomedical innovation landscape through talent development, commercialisation, and future product launches projected by 2035,” SERI and Santen said in a statement on Dec 3.

Singapore’s national research institute for ophthalmic and vision research, SERI is the research arm of the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC).

The new collaboration builds on SONIC 1.0, a $...