PROGRAM AGENDA
New this year: Audience members can submit questions to moderators to include in discussions for sessions 2-7, including the breakouts!
Registration + Networking Breakfast
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration and breakfast
(Registration open till 3:30 p.m.)
Welcome Remarks
8:00 – 8:15 a.m.
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Steve Speares, Executive Director, ASCRS
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Gil Kliman, MD, Program Director
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John Berdahl, MD, Program Co-Chair
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Julie Schallhorn, MD, MS, Program Co-Chair
S1: State of Ophthalmology
8:15 – 8:45 a.m.
Dive into a market overview and data-driven look at trends and capital markets.
Moderators:
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John Berdahl, MD, Program Co-Chair
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Julie Schallhorn, MD, MS, Program Co-Chair
Speakers:
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Neha Begwani, Morgan Stanley
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Aaron DeGagne, CFA, PitchBook
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Kristen Harmon Ingenito, Market Scope
S2: Ophthalmic MedTech Investing
8:45 – 9:30 a.m.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but investments in ophthalmology require 20/10 vision. Hear perspectives from institutional investors, venture capital, and investment banking on the investment process, research, and framework they use to evaluate assets.
Moderators:
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Gil Kliman, MD, Program Director
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Ryan Zimmerman, BTIG
Panel:
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Neha Begwani, Morgan Stanley
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Winston Chang, Polar Asset Management
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Andy Corley, RxSight
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Frank Coughlin, Columbia Threadneedle Investments
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Jeff Weinhuff, Visionary Ventures
Networking Break
9:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Networking Break
S3: Wheels Up: New Products Attempting Takeoff
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Where is the next blockbuster innovation? Back by popular demand, the Wheels Up session debuts products attempting takeoff in 2024, while also providing a quick overview of how last year’s launchpad products are faring. Commercialization teams will share their market development approaches and take challenging questions from strategics.
Moderators:
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Nicole Fram, MD
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Julie Schallhorn, MD, MS, Program Co-Chair
Faculty:
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Ron Kurtz, MD, President and CEO of RxSight
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Aziz Mottiwala, Chief Commercial Officer of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
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Elizabeth Yeu, MD, Director and Chief Medical Advisor of Tarsus Pharmaceuticals
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Dirk Muehlhoff, Vice President for the Refractive Laser Business within Carl Zeiss Meditec
S4: Masterclass: How Deals Get Done
10:45 – 11:15 a.m.
In this Masterclass, audience members can submit questions to one of the industry's most prolific dealmakers, Chairman and CEO of Bausch + Lomb Brent Saunders and hear how he identifies and vets opportunities, and closes deals. In discussion with American Academy of Ophthalmology CEO Stephen D. McLeod, MD.
S5: The Winning Pitch Challenge
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Back by popular demand! The Shark Tank-style competition features pitches from three early-stage ophthalmology innovators, with judges and the audience deciding who will take home cash prizes worth $45,000.
Finalists:
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InGel Therapeutics – Pierre Dromel, PhD
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The LASIK Tonometer – Maria Iglesias, MD, PhD
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TheiaNova Ltd – Carissa Fonseca, PhD
Moderators:
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Vance Thompson, MD
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John Berdahl, MD
Judges:
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Adrienne L. Graves, PhD, Former Board Chair, Iveric Bio
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Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, Founder, Minnesota Eye Associates
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Jim Mazzo, Executive Chairman, Neurotech Pharmaceuticals
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Juliet Bakker, Managing Partner & Founder, Longitude Capital
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Robert Warner, MBA
Honorable Mention:
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FELIQS – Kenichiro Kuninobu, PhD
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Eyedetec Medical Inc – Barry Linder, MD
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OcuSim – Afsun Sahin, MD, PhD
Networking Lunch
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Enjoy a bite to eat with your colleagues.
Presenting Company Showcases
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
These breakouts showcase presenting companies to a targeted ophthalmic audience to help accelerate innovation and growth. Each company will do a six-minute presentation followed by two minutes for questions. The audience will vote for the People's Choice Awards.
Breakout 1
Moderators:
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Cathleen McCabe, MD
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Jim Mazzo (Neurotech)
Presenting Companies:
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Ace Vision Group – Alex Lopez, Chief Commercial Officer
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Aurion Biotech – Greg Kunst, CEO
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Brightstar Therapeutics – Rajan Shukla, CEO
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CorNeat Vision – Almog Aley-Raz, Co-Founder, CEO, VP of Research and Development
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Emmecell – Jeffrey Goldberg, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, Director, Board of Managers
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Epion Therapeutics – Michael W. Belin, MD, Chief Medical Officer
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EyeYon – Nahum Ferera, CEO & Founder
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NeuroTrigger – Nikolai Kunicher, PhD, MBA, CEO
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OKYO Pharma Ltd – Gary Jacob, PhD, CEO/Director
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Centricity Vision Inc – Leonard Borrmann, PharmD, CEO
Breakout 2
Moderators:
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Sam Garg, MD
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Beth Marsh (Apellis)
Presenting Companies:
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Avisi Technologies – Ehsan Sadri, MD, Board Member
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Glaukos Corporation – Tomas Navratil, PhD, Chief Development Officer
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Ocular Therapeutix – Pravin U. Dugel, MD, Executive Chairman
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Sanoculis – Nir Israeli, CEO
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Skye Bioscience Inc. – Chris Twitty, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
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ViaLase, Inc – Pete England, Vice President of Global Marketing
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Sydnexis Inc. – Nick Ruth, Chief Commercial Officer
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Oculis – Riad Sherif, MD, CEO
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Ripple Therapeutics Ltd. – Tom Reeves, President & CEO
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Osheru – Patricia Buehler, MD, MPH, CEO and Founder
Network with Presenting Companies
2:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Meet representatives from presenting companies.
S6: DED or Dead?
3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Join us to determine if the dry-eye landscape is indeed drying out or a fertile opportunity for investors.
Moderators:
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Robert Dempsey, CEO and President, AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc.
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Preeya Gupta, MD, Triangle Eye Consultants
Panel:
- Edward Holland, MD, Director of Cornea Services at Cincinnati Eye Institute, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati
- Marc Gleeson, CEO, Azura Ophthalmics
- Marjan Farid, MD, UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute
- Todd Brady, MD, PhD, CEO, President & Director, Aldeyra
S7: The Exit Interview: Wiley Chambers, MD
3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Hear from Dr. Chambers himself in his first interview since his departure from the FDA, and where he thinks the agency is headed under new leadership.
Moderator: John Berdahl, MD, Program Co-Chair
The Exit Interview: Wiley Chambers, MD
S8: The Binary Event - How to Earn FDA Approval Efficiently and Avoid Rejection
3:45 - 4:15 p.m.
Industry experts discuss the ins and outs of navigating the regulatory landscape.
Moderator:
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John Berdahl, MD, Program Co-Chair
Panel:
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Wiley Chambers, MD
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Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH, Stanford Medicine
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Malvina Eydelman, MD, FDA
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Phil Desjardins, Arnold & Porter
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Keeley Puls-Boever, True North
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Raj Rajpal, Johnson & Johnson
Closing Bell and People's Choice Awards
4:15 – 4:30 p.m.
The program committee wraps the day with insights and People's Choice recognition.
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Gil Kliman, MD, Program Director
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John Berdahl, MD, Program Co-Chair
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Julie Schallhorn, MD, MS, Program Co-Chair
Reception
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Enjoy refreshments and connect!