Eyeworld

EW AAO 2015 42 AAO Preview • November 14–17, 2015 by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Staff Writer T he Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) will be back again prior to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting in Las Vegas. It will take place on Thursday, November 12 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino and will feature many of the showcases and panels that have grown popular over the years, as well as new speakers and companies. Gilbert Kliman, MD, Menlo Park, Calif., one of the meeting's co-chairs and managing director, InterWest Partners, discussed what attend- ees can expect to see at this year's meeting. "We try to add in some new things every year," Dr. Kliman said. New for this year is a session on intellectual property (IP). "I think it will be interesting, especially for en- trepreneurs who are starting compa- nies," he said. Although IP is usually a dry area, it should be interesting and important for a lot of people in the audience, Dr. Kliman added. The panel will be moderated by Casey McGlynn, with Mark Blumenkranz, MD, Reza Zadno, PhD, John Shimmick, and Richard Lindstrom, MD, serving as partici- pants on the panel. There will also be a session building on last year's Alcon and Google panel, titled "Visions of Ophthalmology in 2020," with William Link, PhD, moderating, and representatives from both com- panies speaking. Last year's panel highlighted the partnership between the two companies. Another area that OIS plans to expand on is the digital ophthal- mology showcase, which Dr. Kliman said is a growing area. This year, there will be 5 companies present- ing, several that have been in before and several new companies, he said. OIS also plans to bring back the private device company showcase, as well as one dedicated to private bio- pharma companies. These showcases will take place during the morning programming, along with a private funding trends presentation. A showcase highlighting public device and biopharma ophthalmic compa- nies will take place in the afternoon. This year's plenary keynote will be given during the lunch session by Brent Saunders, CEO and president of Allergan. The presentation of the OIS Innovator Award will also take place during the lunch. Attendees will get a chance to hear the view- points of David Parke, MD, CEO of AAO, and Paul Sieving, MD, PhD, director of the National Eye Insti- tute. Afternoon panels highlight- ing public ophthalmology market and exit trends, market cycles and growth, and the "Masters of the Universe" (strategic CEO panel) will round out this year's program. "It seems to be getting bigger and better every year," Dr. Kliman said. "Ophthalmology is really expanding, so we're just trying to cover all the areas." OIS plans to continue to build on the theme of interaction between business and ophthalmology for another exciting year at AAO. EW Contact information Kliman: gkliman@interwest.com OIS back at AAO in Las Vegas October 2015 Source: ASCRS Las Vegas FUN FACT The first hotel and casino to open in Las Vegas was the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino in 1906. Source: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

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