2025 AGENDA
7:30 - 8:25 AM
Check-in & Networking Breakfast
8:25 - 8:35 AM
Opening & Hot Topics in the Retina Space
Presented By:
Firas M. Rahhal, MD, Partner - ExSight Ventures & Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group
8:35 - 9:35 AM
Innovation Showcase
Annexin Pharmaceuticals | Anna Frostegård, Chief Scientific & Medical Officer
Visionaire Products | Leanne Labriola, MD, CEO
RevOpsis | Ramanath Bhandari, MD, CEO
Pykus Therapeutics | James A. Stefater MD, PhD, President & Co-Founder
Outlook Therapeutics | Bob Jahr, President & CEO
Senju Pharmaceutical Co | Chiho Fukiage, Head of SLOS
NomoCan Pharmaceutical | Amir Yazdanyar, MD, PhD
Regeneron | Alena Reznichenko, MD, MSc, MBA, Vice President, Global Medical Affairs-Ophthalmology
9:35 - 10:00 AM
Fireside Chat - From Failure to First: How a Family Mission Rescued a Struggling Biotech and Created History
Participants:
Rich Small, CEO - Neurotech
Moderated By:
John S. Pollack, MD, Partner - Illinois Retina Associates/ Chief Medical Officer - jCyte
10:00 - 10:30 AM
Looking in the Mirror: How VCs (and key stakeholders) Can Support the Ecosystem and Expedite Innovation Beyond Capital Investment
Panelists:
Mayssa Attar, PhD, SVP Pharmaceutical and Consumer R&D Head - Bausch + Lomb
Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, Executive Chairman - Eyconis / Senior Partner - HealthQuest Capital Management
Michael Hill, Managing Director - Octane Capital Markets
Garrett Hamontree, Partner - Visionary Ventures
Moderated By:
James Murray, Partner - ExSight Ventures
10:30 - 11:00 AM
Morning Networking & Refreshment Break
11:00 - 12:35 PM
Spotlight on Drug Delivery
Alkeus Pharmaceuticals | Seemi Khan, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Medical Officer
InflammX | Brian Levy, OD, CEO
Oculis | Riad Sherif, MD, CEO
EyePoint | Ramiro Ribeiro, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer
U-Needle | Emmett Cunningham, MD, PhD
Re-Vana Therapeutics | Michael O'Rourke, CEO
Optigo | Houman Hemmati, MD, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer
Valitor | Wesley M. Jackson, President & CSO
Ocular Therapeutix | Sanjay Nayak, MBBS, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer
Expert Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Caroline Baumal, MD, Chief Medical Officer / Professor of Ophthalmology, Co-director of Retina Service
Apellis / New England Eye Center, Tufts Medical Center
Thomas Ciulla, MD, MBA, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Volunteer / Vitreoretinal Medicine and Surgery - Indiana University School of Medicine / Midwest Eye Institute
Shamika Gune, MD, Ophthalmology Group Medical Director - Genentech
Peter Kaiser, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology - Cole Eye Institute
Michael Singer, MD, Clinical Professor - UT Health San Antonio
Moderated By:
Baruch Kuppermann, MD, PhD, Steinert Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute - University of California
12:35 - 12:45 PM
Rigorous testing of visual function in clinical trials: Establishment of the VRAI
Presented By:
Peter Francis, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer - Ray Therapeutics
12:45 - 1:35 PM
Networking Lunch
1:35 - 2:45 PM
Spotlight on Regenerative Therapies
Opus Genetics | Sally Tucker, PhD, SVP, Head of Clinical Development
Ray Therapeutics | Peter Francis, MD, PhD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer
REGENXBIO | Steve Pakola, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Ikarovec | Thomas Ciulla, MD, MBA, President & CEO
Adverum | Star Seyedkazemi, PharmD, Chief Development Officer
4DMT | Dhaval Desai, Chief Development Officer
Expert Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Anne Hanneken, MD, Associate Professor of Translational Medicine - The Scripps Research Institute
Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD, Associate Professor - Keck School of Medicine - University of Southern California
John S. Pollack, MD, Partner - Illinois Retina Associates / Chief Medical Officer - jCyte
Carlos Quezada-Ruiz, MD, FASRS, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Retina and Vitreous, Instituto de Oftalmologia Fundación
Moderated By:
Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology and Co-Director - University of Southern California Roski Eye Institute
2:45 - 3:35 PM
Spotlight on Dry AMD & GA
ADARx Pharmaceuticals | Nora Dimon, MD
LumiThera | Clark E. Tedford, PhD, President & CEO
C5 Therapeutics | Carl Erickson, CEO
Expert Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Alan J. Franklin, MD, PhD, Ophthalmologist, Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery
David Sarraf, MD, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology - Stein Eye Institute at UCLA
Roy Schwartz, MD, PhD, Director, Medical Advisor, Global - Apellis
Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, Professor of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine-Cullen Eye Institute
Moderated By:
Anne Fung, MD, Chief Medical Officer - Perceive Bio
3:35 - 4:00 PM
Afternoon Networking & Refreshment Break
4:00 - 4:30 PM
Transforming Clinical Trials in Retina: The Role of AI-Powered Innovation
Panelists:
Dolly Chang, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer - Kodiak Sciences
Shriji Patel, MD, MBA, Lead Medical Director - Genentech
Ben Toker, MBA, Co-Founder & President - Amaros
Ehsan Vaghefi, PhD, CEO - Toku
Charles Wykoff, MD, PhD, Retina Consultants of Texas, Retina Consultants of America, Houston Methodist Hospital & Blanton Eye Institute
Moderated By:
Daniela Ferrara, MD, PhD, FASRS, CMO - Topcon
4:30 - 4:50 PM
View from ASRS: On Label Pharmaceutical Access Challenges and Opportunities
Jill Blim, CEO - ASRS
J. Michael Jumper, MD, FASRS, Vice Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, California Pacific Medical Center
Michael M. Lai, MD, PhD, FASRS, Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Reginald J. Sanders, MD, FASRS, Clinical Associate Professor ophthalmology, Georgetown University, Director Retina Service, Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA, FASRS, Professor of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine-Cullen Eye Institute
Charles C. Wykoff, MD, PhD, FASRS- Retina Consultants of Texas, Retina Consultants of America, Houston Methodist Hospital & Blanton Eye Institute
4:50 - 5:45 PM
The OIS Situation Room: Navigating healthcare in a shifting world order
Part 1 – Finance Perspectives
Panelists:
Laura Feinleib, Managing Director - Redmile Group
Derrick Li, Chief Strategy Officer - ODC Life Sciences
Cameron Taylor, Managing Director - BofA Securities | Life Sciences
Part 2 – Strategic Perspectives
Panelists:
Wayne Caulder, Vice President & General Manager, Surgical (U.S. & Canada) - Bausch + Lomb
Paul Hallen, Vice President & Distinguished Fellow - Alcon
Nida Sen, MD, VP, Ophthalmology Strategy & Development Head – Sanofi
Julian Smith, General Manager Portfolio Commercial Strategy - Eye Care - AbbVie
Co-Moderated By:
Ram Palanki, PharmD, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer - REGENXBIO
Firas M. Rahhal, MD, Partner - ExSight Ventures & Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group
5:45 - 6:45 PM