2026 SPONSORS
PREMIER SPONSOR
Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the gift of sight for millions of people around the world – from the moment of birth through every phase of life. Its comprehensive portfolio of more than 400 products includes contact lenses, lens care products, eye care products, ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products and ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Founded in 1853, Bausch + Lomb has a significant global research and development, manufacturing and commercial footprint with more than 12,000 employees and a presence in nearly 100 countries. Bausch + Lomb is headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario with corporate offices in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.bausch.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Heidelberg Engineering
Opus Genetics
Opus Genetics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing gene therapies for the treatment of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) and small molecule therapies for other ophthalmic disorders. The Company’s pipeline features AAV-based gene therapies targeting inherited retinal diseases including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), bestrophinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa. Its lead gene therapy candidates are OPGx-LCA5, which is in an ongoing Phase 1/2 trial for LCA5-related mutations, and OPGx-BEST1, a gene therapy targeting BEST1-related retinal degeneration. Opus Genetics is also advancing Phentolamine Ophthalmic Solution 0.75%, a partnered therapy currently approved in one indication and being studied in two Phase 3 programs for presbyopia and reduced low light vision and nighttime visual disturbances. The Company is based in Research Triangle Park, NC.
INNOVATION SPONSORS
4DMT
4D Molecular Therapeutics (4DMT) is a late-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the full potential of genetic medicines to treat large market diseases in ophthalmology and pulmonology. 4DMT’s proprietary invention platform, Therapeutic Vector Evolution, combines the power of directed evolution with approximately one billion synthetic AAV capsid-derived sequences to invent customized and evolved vectors for use in our wholly owned and partnered product candidates. Our lead program 4D-150 is a potential backbone therapy that is designed to provide multi-year sustained delivery of anti-VEGF (aflibercept and anti-VEGF-C) targeted to the retina with a single, safe, intravitreal injection. Our second core program is 4D-710, which is the first known genetic medicine to demonstrate, in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), successful delivery and expression of the CFTR transgene and initial clinical activity signals after aerosol delivery of a gene therapy.
Alkeus Pharmaceuticals
Alkeus is a clinical-stage biopharma company located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, dedicated to preserving the sight of individuals impacted by retinal diseases. Our initial focus is Stargardt disease and our investigational therapy, gildeuretinol, is a once daily oral therapy designed to reduce the dimerization of vitamin A without modulating the visual cycle.
Ashvattha Therapeutics
Ashvattha Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel precision nanomedicines enabled by our hydroxyl dendrimer technology to treat unmet medical needs in ophthalmology.
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals
EyePoint, Inc. (Nasdaq: EYPT) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with serious retinal diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate, DURAVYU™, is an innovative investigational sustained delivery treatment for serious retinal diseases combining vorolanib, a selective and patent-protected tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in next-generation bioerodible Durasert E™ technology.
The Company is committed to partnering with the retina community to improve patient lives while creating long-term value, with four approved drugs over three decades and tens of thousands of eyes treated with EyePoint innovation.
EyePoint is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, with a commercial manufacturing facility in Northbridge, Massachusetts.
Neurotech Pharmaceuticals
Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private biotech company focused on developing transformative therapies for chronic eye diseases. The core platform technology, Encapsulated Cell Therapy (ECT), is a first-in-class drug delivery platform designed to slow the progression of Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel) and other chronic eye diseases. ENCELTOTM (revakinagene taroretcel-lwey) is approved in the United States for the treatment of adults with idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel).
Novaliq
The sole shareholder of Novaliq is the dievini Hopp BioTech holding GmbH & Co. KG, the biotech investment vehicle of the Hopp family office. Novaliq has secured additional funding through multiple global partnerships and has attracted a broad base of external investors for its platform technology spin-out companies in glaucoma and dermatology.
Ocugen
Ocugen, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel gene therapies to address major blindness diseases and offer hope for patients across the globe. We are making an impact on patient’s lives through courageous innovation—forging new scientific paths that harness our unique intellectual and human capital. Our breakthrough modifier gene therapy platform has the potential to address significant unmet medical need for large patient populations through our gene-agnostic approach.
Ocular Therapeutix
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to redefining the retina experience across development, treatment, and outcomes. OTX-TKI (also knownas AXPAXLI™), Ocular’s investigational product candidate for retinal disease, is an axitinib intravitreal hydrogel based on its ELUTYX™ proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel-based technology. It is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials to advance wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) treatment, aiming to improve long-term outcomes while reducing the frequency of injections.
Re-Vana Therapeutics
Re-Vana Therapeutics is a venture-backed ocular therapeutics and drug delivery company dedicated to transforming the treatment paradigm in retinal diseases through innovative sustained-release technologies. The company has developed a proprietary platform of biodegradable, photo-crosslinked hydrogel implants designed to deliver a broad range of therapeutics including biologics (fAb, mAb, fusion proteins, bispecifics), peptides, oligonucleotides, complement therapies and small molecules for six months or longer without the need for surgery. Re-Vana’s mission is to address one of the most significant unmet needs in global ophthalmology: reducing the treatment burden associated with chronic retinal diseases. Current standards of care often require frequent intravitreal injections, placing considerable strain on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems. Through its EyeLief® and OcuLief® platforms, Re-Vana enables sustained, clinically relevant drug exposure over extended periods, with the potential to significantly reduce injection frequency while maintaining therapeutic efficacy. The company has secured a multi-target, billion-dollar strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim, validating its platform and accelerating the advancement of multiple programs toward clinical and commercial milestones. Re-Vana is progressing a pipeline of proprietary and partnered long-acting therapies targeting major retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, Re-Vana recently expanded into a purpose-built 8,000 sq. ft. facility in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. This expansion strengthens the company’s internal development capabilities, operational scale, and capacity to support global partnerships. By delivering consistent, long-term therapeutic exposure through a differentiated, non-surgical approach, Re-Vana is redefining retinal disease management improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare burden, and enabling the next generation of long-acting ophthalmic therapies.
Stuart Therapeutics
Stuart Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage drug platform company developing new therapies to treat a broad array of ocular conditions with a completely novel approach – healing through the restoration of disease-damaged collagen. The company’s PolyCol™ collagen mimetic peptide (CMP) technology platform is the first drug class to selectively target and heal specific areas of collagen damage implicated in trauma and disease where there is significant unmet need, including dry eye disease, corneal wound healing, glaucoma, dry AMD and myopia. The lead candidate on the PolyCol platform, ST-100, has demonstrated fast-acting resolution of dry eye signs and symptoms, signaling the opportunity to disrupt this $9.1 billion market and build an ocular surface franchise. The Stuart Therapeutics team includes executive leaders with extensive startup, early stage and large public company experience, as well as scientific advisors with deep expertise ophthalmic medicine and research. Headquartered in Stuart, Florida, Stuart Therapeutics is a privately held company with strong investor support, including InFocus Capital and the University of Wisconsin’s Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and partnerships including Glaukos, Aju Pharm Co, Ora, Vanderbilt University and the University of Rochester. To learn more visit stuarttherapeutics.com and connect on LinkedIn.
Valitor
Valitor is engineering a new generation of long-acting ophthalmic medicines using its multivalent polymer (MVP) platform. The MVP platform is based on proprietary conjugation chemistry for covalent attachment of multiple copies of drug moieties to hyaluronic acid (HA). This technology enables independent control of multiple drug attributes, and conjugation to HA is a favorable strategy for driving ophthalmic drug durability due to its biocompatibility and demonstrated safety in ocular use. In research studies, Valitor’s novel compounds have shown 10-fold increases in potency and up to 5-fold longer target tissue localization. These pharmacological advantages contribute synergistically to unprecedented retention of MVP conjugates in ocular tissues and a strategy for highly durable retinal medicines with an excellent preclinical safety profile.
Valitor’s lead product VLTR-559 is a long-acting inhibitor of VEGF designed to reliably extend the duration of a single dose in humans to six months or more. Based on extensive preclinical data, VLTR-
559 has the potential to become a best-in-class therapy for wet AMD using a 6-month treat-andrelease protocol. The MVP platform has also been designed for plug-and-play versatility to efficiently develop long-acting therapies using a variety of payloads, including compounds from industry collaborators as part of ongoing co-development activities. This has enabled Valitor to initiate development on a pipeline of best-in-class ophthalmic medicines with increased potency and extended therapeutic duration based on validated mechanisms of action.
MEDIA PARTNER
