Steven Schwartz, MD, sits down with hosts, Jim Mazzo and John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS, to discuss the advances and disappointments in retinal disease treatments, innovations in cataract surgery and more.

• Welcome to the Eyeluminaries podcast :10
• A review of the previous episode :42
• News and notes with John and Jim 1:57
• Alcon announces fourth-quarter earnings statement 2:03
• FDA approves J&J Vision AcuVue Theravision contact lens with ketotifen 6:25
• Enhanced monofocal IOLs gaining popularity in Europe 8:47
• Ophthalmologists participating in clinical trials 11:30
• About Steven Schwartz 12:53
• The interview 13:40
• Discussion of current innovation in cataract surgery including use of AI, imaging and robotics 14:25
• Discussion on Schwartz’s involvement in Neurotech MacTel cell-based treatment 15:51
• Advances and disappointments in retinal disease treatments? 20:50
• How do companies come back from disappointing trial results? 21:28
• Why do retina discoveries take so long to develop? 25:00
• New dry AMD treatments in development? 26:29
• Drug delivery technologies and will retina specialists use them? 29:33
• What do you predict we’ll be doing differently in medicine 2 years from now and why? 32:31
• What’s the difference between a retina and cornea specialist? 34:15
• Conclusion and preview of next guest, Eve Higginbotham, MD 36:17
• Steve, thank you very much 37:37
• Look forward to seeing you next time 37:47

Steven Schwartz, MD, is the Ahmanson professor in ophthalmology and the chief of the retina division at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute and the director of the Diabetic Eye Disease and Retinal Vascular Center. 

John A. Hovanesian, MD, FACS, is a faculty member at the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute and in private practice at Harvard Eye Associates in Laguna Hills, California.

Jim Mazzo sits on numerous ophthalmic industry corporate boards and committees after serving in executive roles with Allergan, Avellino Labs, Carl Zeiss and AMO.

We’d love to hear from you! Send your comments/questions to [email protected]. Follow John Hovanesian on Twitter @DrHovanesian. You can reach Dr. Schwartz via email at [email protected].

Disclosures: Hovanesian consults widely in the ophthalmic field and specifically with Alcon, Ivantis and Sight Sciences, who are discussed in this episode. Mazzo reports being an adviser for Zeiss, Bain Capital, Avellino Labs, CVC Capital, Anivive Lifesciences; executive chairman of Neurotech, Preceyes BV and TearLab; and sits on the board of Crystilex, Lensgen, IanTech, Centricity Vision and Visus. Schwartz is the co-founder of Horizon Surgical; member on the National Eye Institute Audacious Initiative Scientific executive committee and reports receiving grants from Neurotech, Optos/Nikon, the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine; and investigator fees from Neurotech and Optos/Nikon and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.