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EW AAO PREVIEW 25 Morse Museum of American Art 445 N. Park Ave. Winter Park, Fla. 407-645-5311 www.morsemuseum.org The Morse Museum houses the world's most comprehensive collec- tion of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The collection includes jew- elry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass windows and lamps, and the chapel interior the artist de- signed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Museum's holdings also include a major collection of American art pottery and representative collec- tions of late 19th- and early 20th- century American paintings, graph- ics, and decorative art. Orlando Science Center 777 E. Princeton St. 407-514-2000 www.osc.org The Orlando Science Center is a fun trip for science-curious adults and kids alike, with a lot of fascinating exhibits. For example, this fall the center will house a Star Wars tour, which explores the fantasy tech- nologies depicted in the Star Wars films, the real science behind them, and the current research that may someday lead to remarkable real-life versions of the technologies seen in the film series. The static Our Planet, Our Universe exhibit explores the strange, curious, and odd peculiari- ties of the universe and our place in it. Other exhibits include Science Park and the Severe Weather Center. Titanic the Experience 7324 International Drive 407-248-1166 www.titanictheexperience.com Titanic the Experience is an exhibit utilizing live interactive interpreta- tions by storytellers in period cos- tume to capture the unforgettable sights, sounds, and emotions of one of the most poignant chapters in modern history. Take a guided tour led by trained actors in period dress portraying actual Titanic notables or stay for the dinner theatre. The ex- hibit has more than 200 priceless ar- tifacts and historic treasures from some of the most prestigious private collections in the world and original movie memorabilia from such films as A Night to Remember, starring Kenneth More, and The Search for Ti- tanic, hosted by Orson Welles—as well as a costume worn by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Oscar-winning motion picture Titanic. EW Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS), October 20, 2011, Orlando, unites leaders in ophthalmic innovation A ccording to Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., M.D. Ph.D., M.P.H., an ophthalmologist, venture capitalist, and OIS chairman, the basic idea be- hind the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit is that "if you bring together those parties truly interested in innova- tion, good things will happen." Those parties include investors, private company entrepreneurs, public companies, physicians, and academics. The major objectives of the Summit are to create a space in which participants can talk about building businesses and how to get transla- tional research moving forward; discuss the process of taking things from idea to product; and talk about building and financing companies. Dr. Cunningham added, "At academic meetings, it's very difficult to talk about financing. We wanted to be very open, which is why we've kept the Summit independent. We wanted people to be able to talk about how to build a business, how to raise money, etc.—things that, in other envi- ronments, people feel less comfortable talking about." The morning session of the Summit focuses on presentations by about 20 of the most promising young drug and device companies. This is followed by a panel titled, "Benefit vs. risk at the FDA – How does FDA judge and how can companies plan?" Ron Kurtz, M.D., will then be in- terviewed by Bill Link during "The Road to Success" lunch session. In the afternoon, there will be a pharma panel titled, "Dry AMD – The next frontier" and another titled, "Staged buyouts – Getting to win-win." These will be followed by two device panels, "Top gun glaucoma surgery: Setting your sights on MIGS (minimally invasive glaucoma surgery)" and "The premium channel: Challenges and opportunities." In addressing the ongoing debate regarding the role of the FDA in in- novation, Dr. Cunningham said, "The FDA is the final arbiter of which drugs and devices get to be used by patients and physicians—an entirely appropriate role. By and large, the FDA—at least the ophthalmic divi- sion—does a very good job." Safety and efficacy standards at the FDA are becoming more stringent, however, and this begs the question of balance. Dr. Cunningham noted, "If today's FDA were asked to 'approve' modern cataract surgery, I doubt they would. The outcomes are generally great, but it's an elective procedure associated with a 1 in 1,000 rate of severe vi- sion loss. Physicians and patients recognize that the benefits of cataract surgery far outweigh the risks, but a conservative government agency might not, particularly when they view their mandate as 'safety first.' People in industry also tend to be frustrated with the FDA when they be- lieve there could be more transparency, quicker turn-around times, or a more streamlined and efficient process." Additional hurdles to innova- tion mentioned by Dr. Cunningham include decreased financing of early stage investments; more challenging drug targets; increasing technical so- phistication of devices; and growing reimbursement pressures. When asked why a program like OIS is appealing, Dr. Cunningham responded, "It allows people with very similar interests to come together and, in one day, get a very complete snapshot of the entire field of oph- thalmic innovation, from the most exciting private companies, to what the public sector is doing, to clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement trends. It's also a great networking opportunity for all parties interested in innovation." He added, "There are a few innovators in the physician realm truly aware of what's going on in ophthalmic innovation, but they are the minority. The Summit allows all physicians to come and hear about the most promising drugs and devices 5-10 years before they would be available to treat patients." Plans have been confirmed for a half-day, more focused OIS meeting on April 19, 2012, immediately prior to the ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meet- ing in Chicago. Both programs are produced by IBF Conferences Inc., Massapequa, N.Y. Dr. Cunningham may be reached at emmett_ cunningham@yahoo.com. EW 3rd annual Ophthalmology Innovation Summit to be held in Orlando

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