OIS Podcast | Ophthalmology's leading Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Adrienne Graves, Ph.D. returns, this time on The Rob & Jai Show, an edition of the OIS podcast. As a trailblazer of the industry, Dr. Graves shares her insights and lessons learned as a CEO and board member of several companies. She also discusses getting treatment to areas around the world that need it the most, how AI will affect and continue to impact eyecare and healthcare at large, and utilizing ophthalmic data for systemic disease diagnosis and management. 

In this episode of the OIS podcast, learn about:  

• Getting affordable and accessible ophthalmological therapies across the world 
• The differences between being a CEO and a board member 
• The impact of AI on eyecare and how it applies to practices 
• The next hot topic of ophthalmology 

RESOURCES:  

Dr. Rob Rothman: https://ois.net/robert-rothman-md/ 
Dr. Jai Parekh: https://ois.net/jai-g-parekh-md-mba/  

Adrienne Graves, Ph.D.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriennegraves  

Theresa Heah, M.D., MBA, co-founder, vice-chair, and CEO of Eyexora, speaks with host Carey Powers at this year’s Ophthalmology Innovation Summit about her company’s fresh approach to building an ophthalmology company that centralizes R&D, clinical, regulatory, and commercial expertise into a “one-stop shop.” Heah delves into the advantages of the hub and spoke model and how it will help overcome the gaps in the eye care landscape, as well as their plans to expand to the UK. 

In this episode of the OIS podcast, learn about:  

· Eyexora’s mission as a unique hub and spoke company dedicated to accelerating clinical innovation 

·  The barriers in the ophthalmology field and how Eyexora’s approach will help overcome them 

·  The advantages of building relationships on a global scale 

·  Milestones and scientific areas to look out for in 2026 

RESOURCES:  

Carey Powers: https://ois.net/carey-powers/  

Theresa Heah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaheah  

Eyexora: https://eyexora.com/ 

In this edition of The Rob & Jai Show, Paul Smith, President & COO of Orasis Pharmaceuticals, joins Dr. Rob Rothman and Dr. Jai Parekh for a compelling conversation on his career path and the commercialization of Qlosi™—a novel, FDA-approved, low-dose pilocarpine eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia.

With more than two decades of experience across Alcon, Novartis, and now Orasis, Smith reflects on his unique career trajectory from tech startups to ophthalmic leadership, the importance of cross-functional experience, and how a shared vision with founder & CEO Elad Kedar led him to the helm of a company now reshaping the presbyopia landscape.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why Qlosi™ was formulated at the lowest approved concentration of pilocarpine to prioritize safety, tolerability, and functional vision.
• How Orasis is differentiating its launch by learning from past category efforts and focusing on real-world expectations and patient needs.
• The company’s go-to-market strategy, including a hybrid access model and the role of optometry in driving adoption.
• Why Paul believes innovation in eye care thrives on collaboration, humility, and continuous learning.
• What makes presbyopia such a powerful entry point into the broader continuum of vision care.

With a clear mission, strong leadership, and a product designed with patients in mind, Orasis is setting a new standard in treating one of the most common unmet needs in eye care.

Don’t miss this thoughtful and inspiring discussion—subscribe to the OIS Podcast today to stay ahead of what’s next in ophthalmic innovation!

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 product protects evaporation for hours and has the ability to penetrate the Meibomian gland, possibly improving its function. 

Novaliq plans to submit data for Food and Drug Administration approval by July. Bausch + Lomb will manufacture and distribute the product in the US. 

Novaliq also plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA in July for the  anti-inflammatory CyclASol.

Listen to the podcast today to hear more about: 

• The potential of a water-free therapy for dry eye disease.
• Why Novaliq decided to license NOV03 to Bausch + Lomb.
• How CyclASol, which contains cyclosporine, differs from existing products.
• What’s next for Novaliq after a hectic 2022.
• How Roesky broke the family tradition of academic chemistry.

Click “play” to listen.

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 working on ciliary-derived neurotrophic factor clinical trials.

Opportunities to join Genentech, UNITY Biotechnology, and then Roche followed, with each experience building on the other. At the latter, she was involved in the development of both Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Susvimo, the port delivery system with ranibizumab, before Novartis came calling. 

Listen to the podcast today to hear Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Rahhal discuss:

• How Dr. Hopkins’ time in academia, the clinic, and industry allowed her to become a well-rounded professional.
• Her involvement in Susvimo from clinical trials through to commercial launch. 
• What will endure among the numerous therapies and delivery systems in development for the posterior segment.  
• How the industry can rise above the high bar set by current anti-VEGF therapies. 
• How artificial intelligence can and will help clinicians define and measure outcomes.
• The outlook for regenerative medicine for the posterior segment.

Click “play” to listen.

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. Freeman continues to look at new ways to deliver drugs. Through Spinnaker Biosciences, which he cofounded with fellow UCSD professor, Michael Sailor, PhD, Dr. Freeman is exploring nanopores as the method of a customized, long-lasting treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.

The other company he cofounded, Nanovision Biosciences, focuses in part on developing an implantable nanotechnology device for patients with degenerative retinal disorders.

With retina specialist (and mentee) Firas Rahhal, MD, Dr. Freeman discusses his career in academics, his relentless pursuit of innovations, and why San Diego is ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Freeman and Dr. Rahhal discuss: 

• Dr. Freeman’s early career goals, including why he chose to specialize in uveitis and why academia is a good fit for him.
• What it takes to do well in academics. (Hint: Location matters.) 
• How his work with HIV/AIDS patients led to developments that are now the standard of care.  
• The state of Spinnaker Biosciences and the science behind nanoporous silicon, which is key to its long-lasting delivery system. 
• His thoughts on polymers used in ocular drug delivery. 
• The global medical, and scientific contributions that have emerged from Dr. Freeman’s retina fellows. 

Click “play” to listen.

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 on mission trips

That five-ingredient recipe has led to three FDA approvals over the past three years. In addition to the popular Ahmed valve, the company’s product line includes the KDB Glide for excisional goniotomy, the Ahmed ClearPath drainage devices, and most recently, the Streamline Surgical System, a single-use device for goniotomies.

Listen to the podcast to hear Bilal and Rob talk about:

• The newly launched Streamline system

• How New World Medical has managed to stay private, and whether it will stay that way moving forward

• The company’s commercial strategy and why it’s focused on glaucoma surgical

• How Bilal balances market opportunity and mission—maintaining the company’s charitable focus while meeting the needs of shareholders

• Why there’s little competition in the glaucoma valve space

[Listen to the Podcast]

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 Consultants of Arizona. Though it took years of trial and error, he succeeded in founding one of the most innovative retina practices in the country. He has also served as principal investigator in more than 100 clinical trials, including known products such as NeoVista and Beovu.

With host Firas Rahhal, MD, Dr. Dugel talks about what he and other investigators learned from the NeoVista clinical trials that would inform future protocols. He also discusses the science behind Zimura (avacincaptad pegol), Iveric Bio’s therapy for geographic atrophy, a part of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 

Zimura received a special protocol assessment (SPA) from the Food and Drug Administration, which may help expedite approvals. Trial results from Zimura’s GATHER2 studies are expected in the second half of 2022.

Listen to the Podcast to find out:

• The MOA behind Zimura  and why it may have an impact on intermediate macular degeneration and wet AMD. 
• How Dr. Dugel expanded his career from traditional academic practice to research physician to biopharma entrepreneur, and the one quality that helped him along the way.
• What went wrong with NeoVista and Beovu and what the industry can learn from these studies.

Click “play” to listen.

 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 pediatric uses. They agreed. Ran then assumed the role of CEO, started fundraising, and guided the company through a successful Series A round. 

NovaSight now has one product on the market—EyeSwift, a diagnostic device—and another on the way. Both use optical image sensors, a pair of ActiveSight glasses, and a cloud-based monitoring system. The company is currently raising $15 million to $20 million to fund development of the second generation of EyeSwift and to research CureSight for myopia prevention. 

Listen to the podcast for an in-depth look at: 

• Pivotal study results for CureSight as an amblyopia treatment device.

• How physicians use CureSight and EyeSwift, including how they can monitor activity between visits.

• What’s different about EyeSwift 2.0.

• How CureSight addresses myopia prevention.

• How an engineer with an idea connected with Ran and Belkin to launch a successful start-up.

Click “play” to listen.

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 Aerie just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. We also learn about Patrick’s next venture, another ophthalmic startup “Innerva” that is developing INE-01, an ocular formulation of a PIEZO2 antagonist as the active ingredient for treatment of ocular surface pain. Innerva’s lead asset INE-01 being developed under IP license from University of Tennessee Research Foundation.

Listen in…