Ois Podcast

Scientist, entrepreneur, and executive Thomas Chalberg, PhD, has developed or funded companies that have advanced complex gene therapy technology, a novel anesthesia delivery system, and a lens that helps slow myopia progression in kids. And that’s just the start.A leader in gene therapy development who is recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer, Dr. Chalberg cofounded Avalanche Biotechnologies, which is now Adverum Biotechnologies. There, he built the Avalanche Ocular BioFactory, an adeno-associated virus (AAV)–based, proprietary, next-generation platform for the discovery and development of gene therapy vectors for ophthalmology.While much of his career has centered on gene therapy, one of his more recent ventures, SightGlass Vision, falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. The company has developed a novel spectacle lens design that helps slow myopia progression. Its foundation stems from research by the University of Washington, which found that high retinal contrast signaling lea

Before joining BioLight Life Sciences, an Israel-based publicly traded venture capital fund focused on ophthalmology, CEO Yaacov Michlin considered starting his own healthcare VC fund. Instead, he now finds himself leading a smaller fund within a vibrant community of startups.Although it’s a publicly traded company, BioLight operates like many VC funds, working both with early-stage companies and as an acquisition partner. Of the former, BioLight helps entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas develop target profiles and a vision for their products’ pathways.With nine companies in its portfolio that span drug, diagnostic, and device, and both front- and back-of-the-eye therapeutic areas, BioLight encourages synergies within its portfolio and within the collaborative environment that Israel is known for.Companies to watch include DiagnosTear, a diagnostics company with a platform that analyzes tear fluid. The platform uploads analyses to the cloud, creating a closed-loop system, Yaacov says.Listen to this OIS Podcast

Raj Agrawal, MD, talks about his dual roles: CEO and president of the medical mission group Retina Global; and VP at clinical-stage biopharma Rezolute, where he’s leading development of a noninvasive diabetic macular edema treatment.

It started with a call. First, a call from Abbott led Christian Roesky to an industry role after completing his chemistry PhD in Germany. Next, came the call that would shape Roesky’s career—from Alcon, where he discovered eye care was his “everyday joy and passion.”The most pivotal call, however, came from Novaliq founder Bernhard Günther, who convinced Roesky to take his emerging startup to the next level. As managing director and CEO, Roesky has led Novaliq through development of a novel pipeline. Most notably, NOV03 (perfluorohexyloctane), a therapy designed to treat dry eye disease caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction, has delivered what OIS Podcast host Paul Karpecki, OD, calls the “most impressive dry eye Phase III data I’ve ever seen.”In a single study, NOV03 met its two primary endpoints: total corneal fluorescein staining and visual analog scale dryness score at day 57. Its novel mode of action lies in EyeSol, a water-free solution that overcomes many of the limitations of existing therapies. The p

Jill Hopkins, MD, didn’t plan to end up in a global leadership position at one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. But she got there in 2021, when Novartis recruited her to serve as its SVP and global head of the ophthalmology development unit. Dr. Hopkins moved from academia to the clinic to industry, not by muscling her way in, but by exploring opportunities that sparked her interest and fueled her passion. At each steppingstone, she had a hand in some exciting developments. At Novartis, she leads drug development for its mid- to late-stage portfolio, including both anterior- and posterior-segment therapeutics. She brings a depth of experience to the role that includes science, medicine, and academia, with stints at large companies and small startups.After 10 collective years at University or Toronto and University of Southern California, Dr. Hopkins moved to Retina Vitreous Associates. There, she worked alongside OIS Podcast host Firas Rahhal, MD, running the electroretinography lab and workin

William “Bill” Freeman, MD, has been at the forefront of intraocular drug delivery for more than 30 years, and he’s done so while also treating patients and teaching the next generation of eye surgeons. From sunny University of California San Diego, where he serves as distinguished professor, vice chair of ophthalmology, and director of the Jacobs Retina Center, Dr. Freeman pioneered new techniques and technologies now common in the field. In the early 1990s, at the height of the AIDS epidemic, he developed a surgical technique to repair detached retinas, a common complication of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis he was seeing in so many HIV/AIDS patients. He also found that he could repeatedly inject drugs into the eye with little-to-no systemic side effects. Dr. Freeman’s research not only pioneered a new way to treat CMV retinitis; it also led to a method of ocular drug delivery that’s now the standard of care: intravitreal injections.With the support of ongoing National Institutes of Health funding, Dr.

New World Medical, maker of the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve, continues to innovate and maintain a steady pipeline without the cachet that comes with big-name partnerships.CEO Bilal Khan spoke with OIS podcast host Rob Rothman, MD, about assuming the lead role at New World Medical from founder Dr. A. Mateen Ahmed—Bilal’s father-in-law.While Dr. Ahmed and Bilal can “geek out” about glaucoma devices at the dinner table, it wasn’t that way 12 years ago. Bilal joined New World Medical in 2008 after working in finance and as an actuary. His lack of a medical background served him well, however, as it forced him to deflect responsibility rather than wear all the hats.His core focus these days is to carry out the mission established by Dr. Ahmed: preserve and enhance vision by delivering innovation to benefit humanity through safe and effective medical devices. That mission involves five components:• Empowering surgeons• Expand access to care• Treat employees well• Donate 10% of profits to charity• Support employees to go o

Multiple reports have shown that only about 11% of Phase I clinical trials make it through to regulatory approval. Business, says retina expert Pravin Dugel, MD, president of Iveric Bio, follows a similar trajectory. Success comes only after multiple failures. Dr. Dugel has enjoyed success as a retina surgeon, as a principal investigator, and as president of a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for retinal disease. He became a leader in his field partly due to his fearless risk-taking and his ability to learn from the times when those risks didn’t pan out. An immigrant refugee from Nepal who fled to Austria with his family, Dr. Dugel followed his brother to a boarding school in England, finished high school and college in New York, and moved to the opposite coast to complete medical school, a residency, and a fellowship in southern California.Taking a calculated risk based on what seemed like a promising market, Dr. Dugel moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to build his clinical practice, Retina

 NovaSight is tackling one of the biggest unmet needs in ophthalmology: pediatric amblyopia, otherwise known as “lazy eye.” It’s the leading cause of vision loss in children. And despite innovations in virtually every other eye condition, the most common amblyopia treatment has remained the eye patch.NovaSight’s CureSight is a binocular treatment that lets kids do their favorite on-screen activities—movies, YouTube videos, homework—while the device’s eye-tracking technology and three-dimensional image processing algorithms go to work. NovaSight recently presented positive top-line data and expects to receive Food and Drug Administration clearance in Q3. NovaSight’s CEO, Ran Yam, spoke with OIS Podcast host Rob Rothman, MD, about NovaSight and how it’s meeting unmet needs in children. NovaSight emerged in 2016 after an engineer approached Ran with an idea for using a virtual reality headset to treat strabismus. They were introduced to Michael Belkin of Belkin Lasers, who encouraged the partners to focus on ped

Patrick Tresserras Former CEO & founder, Avizorex Pharma (acquired by Aerie in 2019)In this episode of the OIS Podcast, Dr Robert Rothman is joined by Patrick Tresserras, former CEO & Co-founder of Avizorex Pharma which was sold to Aerie in 2019. Dr. Rothman hones in on Patrick’s unique ability to identify promising academic assets to address unmet medical needs. Patrick’s first start-up Avizorex was founded in 2013 based on a technology originated from research conducted by Professor Carlos Belmonte at the Institute of Neurosciences in Alicante, Spain. The science involved temperature-sensitive neurons in tear film regulation. Patrick convinced Professor Belmonte to partner with him and then went on to secure financing and assemble a team to transform Avizorex’s lead candidate AVX-012 (a selective TRPM8 agonist eye drop) from an early stage preclinical asset into a novel Dry Eye Disease product candidate.  Following positive phase 2 data, Patrick successfully structured an  acquisition deal with Aeri

Long before pharmaceutical and medical device sales reps make their pitches to physicians, ophthalmic drug and device developers run their products through years of clinical trials. Most of the time, they turn to third-party vendors to get them across the finish line. One of the most important partners in that process are clinical research organizations (CROs), which manage all aspects of clinical trials from discovery through to regulatory approval and commercialization.With offices in southern California and India, CBCC Global, a CRO with ophthalmology expertise, provides a range of services to help drug and device companies take their products to the next level. Under the leadership of CEO Manoj Vyas, CBCC has expanded its U.S. and India markets and plans to strengthen its presence in Europe. Already well-versed in Phase I – IV clinical trials, CBCC plans to further diversify to offer preclinical support.CBCC also champions innovation through strategic relationships: it recently entered into a joint agreem

Richel Liu, left a secure post as CEO of a comprehensive IT group to start a VC with a focus on early-stage ophthalmology and optometry companies. She’s now one of a growing number of successful women entrepreneurs in China,  a country that’s home to two-thirds of the richest women in the world.The move from IT CEO to eye care VC isn’t as dramatic of a detour as it sounds. To Liu, ophthalmology is a multidisciplinary therapeutic area—it involves not only medical device and clinical practice, but also advanced technology, the latter of which she knew well. She also saw the potential, as eye care applies to people of all ages, from the perfectly healthy to those with chronic conditions, she explains.With host Rob Rothman, MD, a practicing ophthalmologist and managing partner of VC firm InFocus Capital Partners, Richel shares how she transitioned from the top of the corporate ladder to running her own business. She also discusses the goals of her VC, Rimonci Capital, and why she believes its work will help impro

As president and CEO of LENTECHS, a clinical-stage ophthalmic device company on the verge of commercializing a new contact lens, Robin Sears applies the core competencies he learned while moving through the ranks at Johnson & Johnson and Allergan.As told to podcast host Paul Karpecki, OD, when Robin heard about the presbyopia lens developed by Melissa Bailey, OD, PhD, and Joe Barr, OD, he saw a tremendous opportunity to reshape the market. He started fundraising and turned a novel invention into a business.Because of the demand for a presbyopia lens, that business may soon take off. LENTECHS research showed 74% of presbyopes who wear glasses want a contact lens solution. Why aren’t they using one now? Visual compromise. Current lenses don’t resolve near, mid, and far vision well enough for this growing population.The LENTECHS lens, called APIOC™, is based on a new type of contact lens-wearing experience. The lens is suspended behind the upper eyelid, which allows the eye to move freely behind the stable c

One of the most influential women in ophthalmology today, Adrienne Graves, PhD has exceled in nearly every aspect of the industry, from research to industry to nonprofits.While many know Dr. Graves from her executive experience—which includes eight years as CEO of Santen and board positions with over a dozen ophthalmology companies—she got her start as a scientist.Her work in visual neuroscience got the attention of Alcon, where she was hired to set up the company’s first Retinal Electrophysiology Lab. “It was the best decision of my life,” she tells podcast host Rob Rothman, MD (even though she did have to move from Paris, France, to Fort Worth, Texas). With support from her manager, Dr. Graves moved on and up through R&D to eventually become Alcon’s Director of International Ophthalmology.After closing her chapter with Santen, Dr. Graves went on to guide other companies and cofound Glaucoma 360, an annual gala and conference produced by Glaucoma Research Foundation. The hybrid 2022 event kicks off on Th

Retina specialists have limited imaging and surgical tools to visualize the back of the eye. While technology has improved, the need for incredible precision is paramount. [MOU1] PulseMedica’s 3D imaging and surgical platform has the potential to deliver extreme accuracy through advanced imaging technology, AI-based decision assistance, and femtosecond laser pulses. (For those who don’t study lasers, a femtosecond is one millionth of one billionth of a second.)PulseMedica CEO Nir Katchinskiy, Ph.D., focused on these super-precise laser pulses during his doctoral studies. In the process, built a system that images the eye in 3D, in real time, and delivers laser treatment with incredible precision. For now, the company is focused on imaging to treat dry AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and floaters, among other possible applications.With business partner Lahav Gil, an entrepreneur with a 30-plus year career in medtech, Katchinskiy discusses his innovation and the challenge of expanding his focus from solely research

Daniel Chao, MD, PhD, spent a lot of years in the lab studying the nervous system of zebra fish and worms. No surprise, after earning his PhD in neuroscience, he wanted to move on.Ophthalmology reeled him in. After a residency and a fellowship in the field, he moved into a multifaceted research career that includes academia, biotech, and industry.As Senior Director of Translational and Experimental Medicine and Retina Clinical Lead for Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Chao designs and executes first-in-human and Phase II proof-of-concept studies for J&J’s assets. He’s also involved in developing biomarkers to help accelerate clinical trials and meeting with external partners.He knows where they’re coming from. In 2019, he spun out technology he developed at UC San Diego into what is now Visgenx and became one of its scientific cofounders. Visgenx therapeutics are based on ELOVL2 gene expression, which is tied to aging in the retina and other tissues.Companies like Visgenx, tak

A new generation of drug delivery technology is emerging, with new refillable, absorbable, and dissolvable drug delivery systems making their way through clinical trials and into the market. Large pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and device startups alike are all developing innovative alternatives to intravitreal injection.These systems are important for improving compliance and, as a result, patient outcomes. The ability to extend treatment duration also alleviates some of the patient and physician burden that comes with regular injections.To explore the latest advances in the ocular drug delivery space and their impact on patients and clinics, OIS brought together an A team of medical, venture capital, and industry experts.Listen to this podcast to hear our panel discuss: • Do longer-lasting therapies, injectables, and resorbables represent a new bar for existing technologies?• What’s in development at Bausch + Lomb, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, and Allergan/Abbvie?• How will these new delivery systems ch

Brian Strem, CEO and Director of Kiora Pharmaceuticals, didn’t plan to become an executive, or even an entrepreneur, when he started doing translational research for publicly traded biotech company Cytori Therapeutics. But as his career progressed from the bench to business development to leading Bayon Therapeutics (acquired by EyeGate) and Okogen, he found himself following in his father’s footsteps: during his childhood, Strem watched his first mentor grow a textile business from the family garage to an industry leading company.Inspired by Dad’s passionate pursuit, Strem has overseen the development of Kiora’s three-product pipeline. Kiora recently shared topline results on KIO-101, a small molecule dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor, demonstrating early stage, promising clinical data in reducing ocular surface inflammation in patients with conjunctival hyperemia. The results give Kiora the data needed to move into Phase II studies.KIO-201, the company’s legacy product, is a chemically modified

A college detour away from medical school and into scientific research worked to the advantage of Lori-Ann Christie. Her career has evolved from academic researcher to pharmaceutical industry scientist and director to venture capital fund principal, with each role building on the one before.Christie recently joined Visionary Venture Fund, a capital firm that focuses on ophthalmology devices and pharmaceuticals. She assumed her investment-based role after seven years at Allergan, now part of AbbVie. Through all Allergan’s internal developments, Christie stepped up, asked questions, and learned from her mistakes. When Allergan integrated into AbbVie, she moved into a director role and got to experience all that comes after her work in the lab.With host Ehsan Sadri, MD, Christie talks about her career trajectory, what she’s learned along the way, and what’s on the horizon.Listen to the podcast today to discover:The difference between academic and pharmaceutical industry research and why scientific rigor matters.

The annual tradition of the Ophthalmology Innovation Year in Review continues for 2021with data on, NEI funding, venture deals, public offerings, M&A transactions, FDA approvals and phase 3 data. This time OIS Co-founder, Craig Simak switches seats with three of our podcast hosts: Firas Rahhal, MD; Robert Rothman, MD and Ehsan Sadri, MD. The three wisemen who also happen to be MDs and VCs, reflect on some of the more notable events from the “OIS Year in Review” (link) presentation while providing commentary and insights on what the data means for industry, physicians, investors and even patients. Be sure to listen in to the last podcast for the year and download the full report.