EYENOVATE Agenda
(Subject to change based on speaker confirmations.)
Join the growing list of companies participating at EYENOVATE!
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM CEST
Wednesday, December 3
VISIONARY FRONTIERS
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Check In & Networking Event
PRELIMINARY SESSION | 6:30 PM – 6:40 PM
Welcome & Opening
From Galilei’s Lens to Artificial Intelligence: A Journey Through Vision.
Guests are welcomed into the historic Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica (Science and Technology Foundation), surrounded by Galileo’s original instruments and lenses, where the journey from the first telescopic visions of the cosmos to today’s AI-driven exploration of the retina comes to life.
A symbolic inauguration connecting the origins of the scientific method, born in Florence through Galileo Galilei’s revolutionary optics to the era of biotechnology, data science, and artificial intelligence.
From the first lenses that revealed the stars to the digital imaging systems that now unveil the retina, the session celebrates the continuum between observation, imagination, and innovation.
MODERATOR
Prof. Stanislao Rizzo
MODERATOR
Prof. Francesco Faraldi
SESSION 1 | 6:40 PM – 6:55 PM
Florence in the 1500s: Medici, Godfathers of the Renaissance and Galileo Galilei
An Introduction of the Modern Scientific Method: The Dawn of the Age of Science
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Prof. Donatella Lippi
SESSION 2 | 6:55 PM – 7:30 PM
Keynote Lectures – Titles and Guests to be Announced
7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dinner
7:30 AM – 9:00 AM CEST
Thursday, December 4
VISIONARY FRONTIERS
Fortezza da Basso | Florence, Italy
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM
Check In & Networking Coffee
PRELIMINARY SESSION | 8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcome & Opening
MODERATOR
Prof. Stanislao Rizzo
MODERATOR
Prof. Francesco Faraldi
SESSION 3 | 8:10 AM – 8:20 AM
Clinical Trial Truisms: A Primer for the Sessions Ahead
Get grounded in the fundamentals that drive every successful study. This session distills the key principles, common pitfalls, and hard-earned lessons of clinical trial design and execution, providing the perfect foundation for the cutting-edge discussions that follow.
SPEAKER
Dr. Emmett Cunningham
SESSION 4 | 8:20 AM – 8:30 AM
Investment Trends in the Global Ophthalmic Biotech Sector
Examine the global investment landscape guiding ophthalmic biotech today. Learn how evolving investment patterns are shaping the future of innovation and growth.
SESSION 5 | 8:30 AM – 8:40 AM
Eye on Innovation, Retina’s Next Frontier: A Review of 2025 Innovations
An in-depth look at the most exciting innovations of the year, highlighting the discoveries, devices, and therapeutic approaches that are redefining possibilities in retina.
MODERATOR
Firas Rahhal
SESSION 6 | 8:40 AM – 9:00 AM
Clear Vision Ahead: Innovation From the Eyes of European CEOs
Experience insights from emerging European leaders driving eyecare innovation. Engaging and impactful presentations culminating in a thought-provoking panel on where the industry is heading.
Faculty under confirmation
MODERATOR
Ram Palanki
Featured Speakers
Natalia Misciattelli
Aavantgarde Bio
Rafiq Hasan
Complement Therapeutics
Riad Sherif
Oculis
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM CEST
The Future is Now
SESSION 7 | 9:00AM – 9:45 AM
The Horizon to Access Sustainable Treatment Strategies in Retinal Vascular Diseases: TKIs, Gene Therapies, Topical Options & Sustained Drug Delivery Devices
From gene therapies to TKIs and sustained delivery devices, leading experts will explore the full spectrum of strategies shaping the next era of retinal vascular disease treatment.
MODERATOR
Dr. Baruch Kuppermann
MODERATOR
Prof. Anat Loewenstein
Featured Speakers
Dhaval Desai
4DMT
Robert Dempsey
Ashvattha Therapeutics
Jay Duker
EyePoint
Steve Pakola
REGENXBIO
Stefan Scheidl
Roche
Bob Jahr
Outlook Therapeutics
Kelly Giuffrida
AbbVie
SESSION 8 | 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM
We Are in the Midst of a New Treatment Category: Dry AMD Innovation Update
Explore the current and future horizon in dry AMD, as innovators share the latest advances driving a new therapeutic category and reshaping patient care.
MODERATOR
Dr. Jordi Monés
MODERATOR
Dr. Kourous Rezaei
Featured Speakers
Ferdinando Auriemma
OFFHEALTH
Tarek Hassan
Aviceda Therapeutics
Reza Safaei
Apellis
David Zacks
ONL Therapeutics
Anne Fung
Perceive Biotherapeutics
Ralf Hornig
Science Corporation
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Break
SESSION 9 | 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Retina Rare Diseases
Explore how innovation is transforming the future of rare retinal diseases. This session spotlights the cutting-edge science, technologies, and therapies unlocking new hope for patients with unmet needs.
MODERATOR
Prof. Paulo Stanga
Featured Speakers
Alberto Auricchio
TIGEM & AAVantgarde founder
Michel Dahan
Alkeus
Lance Baldo
Beacon Therapeutics
Dr. Hendrik Scholl
Belite Bio
Sally Tucker
Opus Genetics
Huma Qamar
Ocugen
SESSION 10 | 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Translating Science Into Products in a Complex Global Ecosystem: Large Company Showcase
Global leaders from large companies at the forefront of ophthalmic innovation will share how they transform promising science into products and outline strategies for success in today’s rapidly evolving global ecosystem.
MODERATOR
Dr. Charles Wykoff
Featured Speakers
Fabio Baschiera
Boehringer
Ingelheim
Stefan Sheidl
Roche
Julian Smith
AbbVie
SESSION 11 | 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Shaping the Future: Regulatory Perspectives on Innovation
Experts from leading regulatory bodies will discuss how evolving pathways and global frameworks can guide innovation toward accelerated approvals and expanding patient access to new therapies.
MODERATOR
Dr. Peter Kaiser
MODERATOR
Prof. Stanislao Rizzo
Featured Speakers
Prof. Paolo Gasparini
Member of CHMP, European Medicines Agency - EMA
Prof. Renato Bernardini
Member, Consiglio Superiore di Sanità, Italian National Supreme Council for Health
Robert Giovanni Nisticò
President of the Italian Medicines
Agency - AIFA
Michele Allamprese
Director of the Eye Disease
Patients Association - APMO
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Break
SESSION 12 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Surgical and Imaging Innovations
Surgical innovation is evolving at unprecedented speed. This session highlights breakthrough technologies and next-generation tools that are redefining procedures and improving outcomes for patients.
MODERATOR
Dr. Lejla Vajzovic
MODERATOR
Diana Do
Featured Speakers
Paul Hallen
Alcon
Federico Marchetti
BVI Medical
Kevin Langton
Zeiss
Jian Zhou
TowardPi
Daniela Ferrara
Topcon
Kfir Azoulay
Heidelberg
Burton Tripathi
Beyeonics
Lionel Jouet
B+L
SESSION 13 | 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Influence of Geopolitical Climate on Biotech Innovation and Cross-Border Collaboration – What’s at Stake for the Future?
An invigorating discussion on how global events and shifting policies are reshaping investment, partnerships, and the future of biotech innovation.
MODERATOR
Ram Palanki
Featured Speakers
Alicia Kemble
Retinal Degeneration Fund
Paola Pozzi
Sofinnova Partners
Simona Varani
XGEN Venture
Annabel Samimy
Stifel
SESSION 14 | 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Rising Retina Innovation Companies Showcase
Meet the next wave of vision science disruptors. This showcase spotlights emerging companies with bold ideas and transformative technologies poised to redefine how we understand, diagnose, and treat retinal disease.
SESSION 15 | 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
“There is no try. Do.” – Wise Words From the Yoda of Retina: Interview With Special Guest
EYENOVATE concludes with an enjoyable session with one of the field’s most respected entrepreneurs and visionaries.
MODERATOR
Dr. Peter Kaiser
SPECIAL GUEST
Dr. Emmett Cunningham
