The desire to contribute to the quality of life of people not only in Japan, but also around the world, encouraged Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to begin in developing its worldwide presence in the 1990's. Santen strengthened its foothold in Europe in 1994 by establishing the base company (Santen Pharmaceutical Support) in Germany. Santen Oy was established in Finland in 1997 when the company acquired the business of the Finnish pharmaceutical company Oy Star Ab. SantenPharma Ab in Sweden was established in 1997 as well.
Today Santen GmbH is Santen's strategic headquarters in Europe and SantenPharma Ab is a sales and marketing office. Santen Oy is the headquarters for Santen’s European core business including the R & D center. Santen Oy has nearly 90 years' tradition in pharmaceuticals. The roots are in the company Oy Star Ab established in 1922 in Tampere, Finland.
