Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has announced a new licensing agreement with Chinese biopharmaceutical company RemeGen Co., Ltd. to exclusively develop, manufacture, and commercialize RC28-E, a novel dual-target intravitreal injection, across 12 Asian territories, including Mainland China, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian countries.
RC28-E is a bi-specific fusion protein that targets both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF). It is being developed to treat major retinal diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and diabetic retinopathy (DR) — all conditions with increasing prevalence across Asia.
The agreement grants Santen exclusive rights in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In return, RemeGen will receive a RMB 250 million upfront payment, with additional milestone payments of up to RMB 1.045 billion and royalties based on net sales.
RC28-E has shown promising clinical results, including significant improvements in visual acuity and retinal thickness in a Phase II trial for DME, which was presented at the ARVO 2025 conference. RemeGen is currently conducting Phase III trials for both wAMD and DME and aims to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) in China for DME in late 2025, followed by a BLA for wAMD in 2026.
Takeshi Ito, President and CEO of Santen, praised RemeGen’s innovation, stating that RC28-E could offer a new approach to retinal disease treatment by simultaneously targeting angiogenesis and fibrosis. He emphasized Santen’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality ophthalmic care across Asia.
Dr. Fang Jianmin, CEO of RemeGen, noted that the partnership with Santen — a global leader in ophthalmology — will help accelerate commercialization of RC28-E and strengthen RemeGen’s role in global eye health innovation.
This agreement marks a significant step toward expanding treatment options for millions of patients suffering from retinal diseases across Asia, where conditions like DME and wAMD are growing public health concerns due to rising rates of diabetes and aging populations.