FRONTEO and Santen Pharmaceutical Launch Second Co-creation Project

Driving Pipeline Expansion in the Ophthalmology Field Using the AI-powered Drug Discovery Support Service "Drug Discovery AI Factory"

Tokyo, Japan, July 16, 2026 - FRONTEO, Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President & CEO: Masahiro Morimoto; hereinafter “FRONTEO”) announces that it has launched a co-creation project with Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; President & CEO: Takeshi Ito; hereinafter “Santen”), Japan's leading ophthalmology pharmaceutical company, to expand Santen’s pipeline. The project utilizes FRONTEO’s equation-driven AI “KIBIT,” *1 which enables the discontinuous discovery of previously unknown relationships between diseases and target molecules.

This is the second co-creation project between the two companies, following the project on the discovery of new target molecules and drug repositioning^*2 that began in December 2025. The new project was launched based on Santen’s high evaluation of the first project.

In this project, FRONTEO will utilize “KIBIT” and its proprietary analytical methods to conduct a comprehensive screening of ophthalmic diseases using assets^*3 specified by Santen, and select promising assets. Furthermore, for the selected assets, FRONTEO will identify target diseases based on evaluations of biological responses and the degree of impact on each disease, and will present hypotheses regarding the underlying mechanisms of action^*4, along with detailed investigation reports.

■Comment from Peter Sallstrig, Chief Medical Officer, Product Development Division, Santen

“I understand that FRONTEO’s AI-powered drug discovery support service, ‘Drug Discovery AI Factory,’ is characterized by its ability to perform multifaceted analyses of information related to diseases and target molecules by combining the natural language processing AI ‘KIBIT’ with expertise in drug discovery research. Through our collaboration to date, we have confirmed that this analytical approach has the potential to provide valuable insights for our research and development activities.

In this second project, we will carefully evaluate the generated analysis results and hypotheses and utilize them to consider future R&D strategies in the field of ophthalmology. Santen will continue to incorporate external technologies and expertise to create value that addresses unmet medical needs^*5 and contribute to realizing ‘Happiness with Vision’ for patients around the world.”

■Comment from Hiroyoshi Toyoshiba, Director/CSO (Chief Science Officer), FRONTEO

“I am very pleased that our first co-creation project was well-received and that we are able to launch a new project aimed at accelerating the expansion of Santen’s pipeline.

In general, the discovery of new drug targets and drug repositioning for rare diseases is not an easy task; however, FRONTEO’s proprietary algorithms can identify previously unreported associations between diseases and target molecules—even in areas where scientific literature and omics data^*6 are scarce—and select new target diseases and target molecules. This capability is extremely effective for creating highly innovative pharmaceuticals in the ophthalmology field. Through this collaboration, we will leverage DDAIF to contribute to Santen’s development of innovative pharmaceuticals and to addressing unmet medical needs in the ophthalmology field.”

Notes:
*1 equation-driven AI “KIBIT”: An artificial intelligence independently developed by FRONTEO. By utilizing mathematical equations, KIBIT enables discontinuous discoveries, identification of causal relationships, and highly accurate, reproducible analyses. Its lightweight learning process allows it to operate on a single personal computer. Patents have been granted in Japan, Europe, and the U.S.
*2 December 18, 2025 press release: FRONTEO and Santen Pharmaceutical Launch Co-creation Project for the Discovery of New Target Molecules and Drug Repositioning in the Ophthalmology Field, https://www.fronteo.com/news/pr/20251218
*3 assets: Pharmaceutical-related assets with business value, such as drug candidates, drugs under development, and marketed drugs
*4 mechanism-of-action hypothesis: A hypothesis that explains why a selected asset can be repurposed for a given disease, along with the underlying mechanism behind it.
*5 unmet medical needs: The need for new drugs, therapies, or treatment approaches for diseases for which effective treatments have not yet been established
*6 omics data: A general term for life science data that comprehensively captures phenomena occurring within living organisms

About Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Santen is a global pharmaceutical company committed to advancing eye health and improving lives through better vision. Founded in 1890 in Osaka, Japan, Santen makes use of more than 135 years of experience in research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to help people around the globe maintain and improve their eye health. Santen focuses exclusively on eye health and its portfolio includes glaucoma, dry eye, infection, allergy, age-related macular degeneration, and myopia. Santen’s products and services are available in more than 60 countries and regions. Guided by its Core Principle “Tenki ni sanyo suru” – Exploring the secrets and mechanisms of nature in order to contribute to people’s health – Santen combines its expertise with deep patient focus to contribute to the realization of “Happiness with Vision.”

For more information, please visit https://www.santen.com/en.

About FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF)

[Reference: Initiatives with pharmaceutical companies and Academia]
https://www.fronteo.com/news/ddaif-list

FRONTEO Drug Discovery AI Factory (DDAIF) is an AI-based drug discovery support service that combines KIBIT (patented in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea), an Equation-driven AI specialized in natural language processing, with the expertise of FRONTEO’s drug discovery researchers and AI engineers. It powerfully supports researchers’ decision-making in drug development through the analysis of disease-related gene networks and the construction of hypotheses regarding target molecule candidates. This service has already been adopted by multiple major pharmaceutical companies and has a proven track record.

*The technology used in Drug Discovery AI Factory is covered by a total of 21 patents held by FRONTEO in Japan, Europe, the U.S., and South Korea.

https://lifescience.fronteo.com/products/drug-discovery-ai-factory/

About FRONTEO, Inc. https://www.fronteo.com/en/