Global Myopia Awareness Coalition Announces Santen as Newest Member

Thursday, June 5 2025 | 13 h 26 min | News

The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC), a coalition of leading ophthalmic companies and eye health associations, has announced the addition of Santen, an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company, as the newest member of its coalition. The partnership reflects GMAC’s ongoing efforts to unite global stakeholders in raising public awareness about childhood myopia and the importance of early intervention, according to the announcement. Santen, headquartered in Japan, with more than 130 years of expertise in eyecare, has a long-standing commitment to advancing eye health through science, innovation and collaboration, the announcement said.

Santen’s global research and development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of eyecare pharmaceutical products align closely with GMAC’s mission to educate and equip families, caregivers and communities to manage myopia proactively, according to the announcement.

“We are delighted to welcome Santen to GMAC,” said Olga Prenat, board chair of GMAC. “Santen’s addition reflects the growing momentum behind our shared mission to address childhood myopia as a global priority. Each new member strengthens our ability to reach more communities, drive greater impact and speak with a unified voice on the importance of early action in protecting children’s vision.”

As a GMAC member, Santen will collaborate with other global organizations to support initiatives that promote regular eye exams, educate families about childhood myopia and encourage informed conversations between parents and eyecare professionals, the coalition noted.

“At Santen, our purpose is to protect vision and help people live happier, more fulfilling lives. Addressing childhood myopia is critical to that mission,” said Ioana Grobeiu, vice president, medical affairs EMEA at Santen. “We believe that myopia should not be a limiting factor in children’s lives and that they should have better chances to enjoy healthy vision. By joining GMAC, we are strengthening our commitment to early intervention, scientific leadership and meaningful cross-sector collaboration to protect children’s vision and support their well-being.”

GMAC announced its 2025 board of directors in February, as reported in Optik NOW.

Formed in 2019, GMAC is a coalition of eyecare companies and eye health associations with a mission to increase public awareness about the growing prevalence and consequences of myopia, especially in children. GMAC partners with professional associations and their members to provide eyecare professionals with the tools and resources needed to educate parents and children about myopia, its impact on vision, and the importance of early and regular eye exams.

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