1. Ophthalmology news from the journal Nature

The March 9, 2016 issue of the journal Nature published an article that was a major breakthrough in congenital cataract research in China, and expert reviews were also published. The global team, led by Professor Liu Yizhi of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University, has been working for 18 years to develop a method for minimally invasive cataract surgery. Regeneration of physiologically active lens from the endogenous stem cell opened up a new domain of the stem cell repair organ.

2. Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Kerui Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. established a joint venture company.

On March 22, 2016, Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, "Santen Pharmaceutical"), a leading manufacturer in the field of ophthalmic drugs in Japan, and Chongqing Kerui Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, "Kerui Pharmaceutical") signed a long-term strategic business partnership agreement in Osaka. Santen Pharmaceutical (China) Co., Ltd. (Santen China) and Kerui Pharmaceutical jointly established "Chongqing Santen Kerui Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd." The joint venture, located in Chongqing, China, will be designed and built in conformance with the strict quality requirements of Santen and is expected to be the largest production base for ophthalmic drugs in China. Both sides aim to provide a wide range of patients with high-quality, reasonably priced drugs in China. The Santen Group will support the joint venture company with core technologies and experts to help supply high-quality drugs on a continuing basis. Kerui Pharmaceutical will transfer all ophthalmic approvals to the joint venture company and upgrade its products with the technical assistance of the Santen Group. The joint venture company will draw upon the drug distribution network and end-user-covering capabilities of Chongqing Medicines (Group) Co., Ltd. (Chongqing Medicines) to meet the demand of ophthalmic care.

<About Kerui Pharmaceutical>

Chongqing Kerui Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. is a state-owned holding corporation established in 1914 through investment by Song Ziwen in Hong Kong, and it is a subsidiary of Chongqing Medicines (Group) Co., Ltd.
The headquarters is located in Chongqing's South Coast Economic and Technology Development Area. The company runs both Chinese and Western new drug businesses and is a large pharmaceutical industry group that integrates the intensive cultivation of herbal medicines, research and development of Chinese and Western medicines, manufacturing of medicines and other health products as well as medical devices, and trade and distribution. Chongqing Medicines (Group) Co., Ltd. is the only pharmaceutical company in Chongqing that belongs to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), and it is the largest modern pharmaceutical group in southwest China that integrates pharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing, logistics, and retail sales. In 2015, it achieved sales of 31.4 billion yuan, ranking 6th in the Chinese pharmaceutical industry ranking back to back.

<About Santen China>

Santen Pharmaceutical, founded in 1890, is a leading manufacturer with a history of 127 years in the field of ophthalmology in Japan. It is also a global company engaged in the research, development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceutical products. Santen Pharmaceutical entered the Chinese market in 1988 and established Santen Pharmaceutical (China) Co., Ltd. in September 2005. The company also built a plant in Suzhou Industrial Park to produce prescription ophthalmic drugs.