Foundation Fighting Blindness to Host 6th Annual Retinal Cell & Gene Therapy Innovation Summit Before ARVO

The Summit, which will bring physicians, scientists, and industry together to collaboratively advance innovation for emerging retinal therapies, will be held Friday, April 26, 2019.

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Foundation Fighting Blindness

Apr 23, 2019, 07:00 ET

COLUMBIA, Md., April 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a national nonprofit focused on funding cutting-edge retinal disease research, will co-host the sixth annual Retinal Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Summit, in partnership with the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. The Summit – one of the world's most comprehensive reviews (three dozen presenters) of ongoing and planned clinical research for retinal degenerative diseases – will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Friday, April 26, 2019, prior to the 2019 annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

At the summit, representatives from biotech and pharma industries will come together with members of the physician and scientist communities to discuss rapidly emerging retinal gene, cell and novel therapies and strategize how to move the emerging options forward. The summit features presentations by leading retinal disease experts on potential gene and stem-cell therapies and how best to deliver them to patients.

"The purpose of the Summit is to create visibility for the many projects based on gene or cell therapy approaches that are in or entering the clinic," said Brian Mansfield, PhD, executive vice president, interim chief scientific officer. "These approaches, many of which were initiated or supported with funding from the Foundation, hold strong promise for the treatment of diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration and inherited conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease. This progress is occurring due to the expertise and collaboration of companies, clinicians, and scientists, many of whom will attend the summit."

Summit registration is open to academic, physician, biotech and pharmaceutical representatives, as well as industry media interested in learning more about the collaborative advancements featured at the Summit. For additional information, please visit https://www.regonline.com/InnovationSummitVancouver.

Presentations of Note
FRIDAY, APRIL 26

12:15 PM – 12:30 PM: Ascl1-mediated reprogramming of Müller glia promotes
functional regeneration in mouse retina
Dr. Thomas Reh, University of Washington
In this exciting presentation, Dr. Reh will share information on promising new research to enable targeted cell regeneration, allowing the eye to produce new, functional photoreceptors.
1:20 PM – 1:45 PM: [KEYNOTE] Gene Therapy for Retinal Disease
Dr. Robert MacLaren, University of Oxford

In our keynote speech, Dr. MacLaren will share insights from his work as lead investigator for choroideremia, cross-linked retinopathy of prematurity, and dry AMD gene therapy clinical trials.
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM: Subretinal implantation of human retinal progenitor stem cells
Dr. Jason Comander, Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Here, Dr. Comander will review early, encouraging vision improvements for the ReNeuron Phase 2 retinal progenitor clinical trial for patients with retinopathy of prematurity.

About the Foundation Fighting Blindness
Established in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness is the world's leading private funding source for retinal degenerative disease research. The Foundation has raised more than $750 million toward its mission of preventing, treating, and curing blindness caused by the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases including: retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and Stargardt disease. Visit www.FightingBlindness.org for more information.

About Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University
The Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a world-recognized academic eye center eliminating blindness through education, innovation, and community service. Casey is one of the leading institutions for vision research in the nation, known for developing and utilizing the very latest treatments and technologies. It is a global leader in ophthalmic imaging and in clinical trials related to eye disease. From groundbreaking research and education to specialty care in genetics, retina, glaucoma, inflammatory eye disease, and refractive and plastic surgery, Casey focuses on providing the best possible eye health in its clinics and out in the community.

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SOURCE Foundation Fighting Blindness