New Horizons Forum Conference Brief

The New Horizons Forum took place in San Francisco on February 3, 2012.

Sponsored by the Glaucoma Research Foundation in association with Ophthalmology Times, it was the first conference of its type in the United States focused solely on showcasing the promise of innovative new ideas bringing genuine hope for better treatments and ultimately a cure for glaucoma.

Topics covered in the conference brief:

Diverse Developments Shape Future of Glaucoma Care
The future of glaucoma management is happening now and is being shaped by developments in health reform, financing reform, information technology, ongoing research in drug delivery systems, and the emerging potential for personalized targeted therapy, said George A. Cioffi, MD.

Safer Surgery, Better Diagnostics are Focus
Developments in the area of glaucoma devices include new technology for surgical solutions and advances in imaging platforms. Speakers provided an update on ongoing research during a session moderated by Alan Crandall, MD.

Improvements in Drug Delivery and IOP Monitoring are Key
Development of sophisticated drug delivery systems able to overcome the problem of medication nonadherence and of technology for remote, long-term monitoring of IOP is cutting edge for advancing glaucoma care. Representatives from industry described their companies’ novel approaches in these areas during a session moderated by Eliot Lazar, MD, ELCON Medical.

ROCK inhibitors Aim of Glaucoma Drug Development
Several companies developing new pharmaceutical treatments for glaucoma are aiming to be the first to bring a brand new drug class into the therapeutic armamentarium since the first prostaglandin analog was introduced 15 years ago. Industry representatives reported on their pipelines in a session co-moderated by Anthony P. Adamis, MD, Genentech, and Paul Chaney, PanOptica. Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitors that lower IOP by directly reducing resistance to conventional outflow are under development at a number of companies.

Download the Conference Brief (PDF)

Source: Ophthalmology Times, posted with permission.