Program for Angiogenesis 2022 ignites excitement in ophthalmologists

Bascom Palmer’s 19th annual Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration Meeting 2022 is a virtual event scheduled for February 11 and 12, 2022. The program is focused on understanding and treating neovascular and exudative diseases of the eye with the emphasis on the revolutionary pharmacologic therapies that are being developed and the clinical management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity. Another special focus is the current and future impact of the developing pharmacotherapies on clinical practice and Medicare, according to the program coordinators.

The conference codirectors are Philip J. Rosenfeld, MD, PhD, Professor of Ophthalmology; Harry W. Flynn, Jr., MD, Professor of Ophthalmology and The J. Donald M. Gass Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology; and Thomas A. Albini, MD, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology — all from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami.

The scheduled program is outstanding, with a slate of distinguished national and international basic scientists, clinicians, and healthcare experts who will share the latest developments in imaging, translational research, and clinical trials as well as the impact these advances will have on clinical ophthalmology.

Retina specialists expressed enthusiasm about the promise of the information that will be disseminated at the meeting.

According to Anat Loewenstein, MD, chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, and a program panelist, “The angiogenesis meeting is a unique conference in size and scope. First, I think that it includes all the state-of-the-art current treatments of most retinal diseases. At the same time, new modalities of treatment and monitoring are being presented, which allows the audience to not only learn about the current treatments but also gain information about the newly approved ones and the ones that are still under assessment.”

She continued, “It is a big meeting but not too big to prevent fruitful discussion for which there is usually enough time allocated, making that another special feature of this meeting."

Dr. Albini, commented, “There is simply no better event, streaming or in-person, to get an update and overview on the amazing novel therapeutics in exudative and degenerative retinal disease.”

The scientific program

This year’s activities begin on Friday, February 11 at 7:50 Eastern time with an opening address by the co-directors.

The following 5 sessions are scheduled for day 1 beginning at 8 am and adjourning at 1:20 pm.

Session I: Genetics, Histopathology, and Imaging in Non-Exudative AMD

Session II: Predicting Progression of AMD

Session III: Emerging Therapies for Non-Exudative AMD

Session IV: C3 Inhibition for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy; session IV also will include a panel discussion titled “Clinical trial endpoints for non-exudative AMD” at the conclusion of the session.

Session V: OCT Imaging and Risk Factors for Exudative AMD

The day 2 program, which also will feature 5 sessions, will begin on Saturday, February 12 at 7:50 am with opening comments and run until 2:30 pm.

The sessions include the following:

Session VI: Emerging and Current Therapies for Exudative AMD; the session will include a discussion of the Ranibizumab Port Delivery System presentations.

Session VII: Dual Inhibition of Ang2 and VEGF for the Treatment of Exudative AMD and DME–An Update from the Faricimab Program; a discussion session will follow.

Session VIII: Diabetic Retinopathy-Imaging and Staging

Session IX: Diabetic Retinopathy-Treatment

Session X: Retinal and Choroidal Vasculopathies and Degenerations

More detailed information about the specifics of each sessions and the speakers can be obtained on the Bascom Palmer website.

The conference registration is now open and interested clinicians are invited to sign up.