ASCRS News: Annual Meeting Preview
July 2021
Eyecelerator, a partnership between ASCRS and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), will hold its first in-person event on July 22 ahead of the ASCRS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Program Chairs Eric Donnenfeld, MD, and Jim Mazzo shared highlights of the program and why this is a must-attend event.
Dr. Donnenfeld: Eyecelerator is an extraordinary opportunity for industry, investors, analysts, and ophthalmologists to hear from the most important companies in ophthalmology. We’ll look at where our specialty is today, changes that are occurring, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how companies are preparing for the future.
Three of the most exciting and dynamic areas of change in ophthalmology are dry eye, pharmacologic treatment of presbyopia, and glaucoma, and we have selected the companies that are hoping to change the way patients are treated. New data and insights into these companies will be presented and discussed by key opinion leaders.
Jim, how do you feel about having the first live meeting and what do you think about Eyecelerator?
Mr. Mazzo: I’m thrilled that we’re going to get back to how this industry has been built, by having the relationships, hearing about new technologies, and networking.
We have an opportunity here because we have two large associations, ASCRS and AAO, being the sponsors. We are able to take this to the field of investors, ophthalmologists, and industry.
Dr. Donnenfeld: We have keynote speaker Chris Cooley, managing director of Stephens, talking about the state of the financial market. Tell us more about that.
Mr. Mazzo: Chris is one of the leaders in the financial marketplace. He is going to break it down between two critical sessions. One is on the overall financial market. Each of us has been impacted by what’s occurred over the past 12 months, personally and financially.
Then we’ll hear about Chris’ knowledge of many of the major ophthalmic companies. He knows the ophthalmic market extremely well, so we’re going to take this large discussion and hone in on what we’re there for—the core of the ophthalmic market.
Dr. Donnenfeld: We’re also going to have some industry spotlights. Can you share what you expect from these discussions?
Mr. Mazzo: I think it’s going to be critical to hear from companies about what happened during these past 12–18 months. We’ve heard snippets, but we want to hear how the companies have come through this. It’s individual idea makers and entrepreneurs who have built the industry and been acquired by larger companies. Is that appetite still there? I think it is, but let’s find out.
Dr. Donnenfeld: I think one of the exciting aspects of Eyecelerator is the juxtaposition of these enormous Fortune 500 companies with startup companies bringing new ideas to market and presenting in the same space where we’re going to have exciting new concepts.
We’re going to hear from a lot of companies some people might not be aware of. There will be new data. I think the heart and soul of this meeting is having the companies talk about their new research and what they’re doing to change the face of ophthalmology. What are you looking forward to in the sessions on presbyopia-correcting drops, dry eye, and glaucoma?
Mr. Mazzo: Presbyopia-correcting drops, dry eye, and glaucoma—I can’t think of three more exciting categories. Why are they exciting? Because we don’t have an answer yet. We’re all hoping to hear that one or more of these companies might have the answer.
Dr. Donnenfeld: I invite all of you to join us on July 22 because it’s going to be an exceptional day that’s not just for industry but also for ophthalmologists who want to hear about state-of-the-art innovations and want to be involved in the process of making our industry better.
Contact
Donnenfeld: ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com
Mazzo: mazjim@me.com
