Glaucoma Research Foundation to Host 9th Annual Glaucoma 360 at Grand Hyatt in San Francisco

Newswise — San Francisco, CA – January 2, 2020: Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) will host the 9th Annual Glaucoma 360 from February 6 to 8, 2020 in San Francisco. This signature three-day event highlights innovation in glaucoma therapies to ensure patients have access to the latest and most effective diagnostic tools and treatment options. All Glaucoma 360 events will take place at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco in Union Square.

Glaucoma 360 begins on Thursday evening (February 6^th) with a fundraising Gala. At the Gala, the 2020 Catalyst Award will be presented to Vicente Anido, Jr, PhD and Thomas A. Mitro from Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in recognition of their remarkable leadership and commitment to the development of innovative glaucoma treatments.

During the Gala, Glaucoma Research Foundation will also be recognizing extraordinary research with the following presentations:

• Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD (Director, Center for Ocular Regenerative Therapy, University of California, Davis) will receive the 2020 Visionary Award in honor of his exceptional leadership for nearly 20 years as Director of the National Eye Institute (NEI) and his leadership in the launch of the NEI Audacious Goals Initiative for Regenerative Medicine.
• Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, MSc, PhD from the University of California, San Diego, Shiley Eye Institute will receive the 2020 Shaffer Prize for Innovative Glaucoma Research.

The New Horizons Forum on February 7th will feature more than 60 speakers from companies developing innovative glaucoma therapies and diagnostics. This full-day meeting co-founded and co-chaired by Adrienne L. Graves, PhD and Andrew G. Iwach, MD, spotlights new and promising developments to diagnose and treat glaucoma, a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Since its inception in 2012, this meeting has grown substantially, attracting key clinical, scientific, industry, financial, and regulatory leaders from across the United States and around the world.

“We will once again feature early-stage companies and their new technologies and approaches to glaucoma care,” said Dr. Graves. “The amount of innovation that is flourishing in the glaucoma space right now is phenomenal. As a result, there are more therapeutic options than ever before to help patients. Glaucoma 360 is an important catalyst to bring all the important elements together that can advance a promising idea into clinical use,” she said.

Dr. Iwach added, “For our 2020 New Horizons Forum, in addition to highlighting new developments in glaucoma diagnostics and therapies, there will also be a session on ‘Innovation 101’ that will discuss how you move from a great idea into the next breakthrough therapy for patients. The FDA will be involved in this session as their guidance is critical to get new and more effective solutions to our patients.”

David W. Parke II, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), will deliver the Drs. Henry and Frederick Sutro Memorial Lecture, the Forum’s keynote address. Dr. Parke’s lecture, “When Cost and Innovation Collide in Ophthalmology,” will highlight the Academy’s role in facilitating innovation through collaboration with industry partners, AAO members, and AAO resources such as the IRIS registry — the nation's first comprehensive eye disease clinical registry.

Glaucoma 360 will conclude on Saturday, February 8th with continuing medical education symposia for ophthalmologists and optometrists. The Shaffer-Hetherington-Hoskins Keynote Lecture on Saturday morning will be presented by Dale K. Heuer, MD, Retired Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. More than 1,000 attendees are expected to participate over the three days of Glaucoma 360. All proceeds from the events support Glaucoma Research Foundation’s research and educational programs. To learn more about Glaucoma 360 events and to register, visit: www.glaucoma360.org.

About Glaucoma Research Foundation

Founded in San Francisco in 1978, Glaucoma Research Foundation is America’s oldest and most experienced institution dedicated to its mission to cure glaucoma and restore vision through innovative research. The Foundation has a proven track record of pioneering, results-oriented research and produces definitive educational materials used by eye care professionals across the country. The Glaucoma Research Foundation website, www.glaucoma.org, provides valuable information about glaucoma to 4 million visitors annually.

For more information about Glaucoma Research Foundation and Glaucoma 360 events, please contact, Brizette Castellanos at 415.986.3162, ext. 221, or [email protected] — or visit www.glaucoma360.org.