OIS Podcast | Ophthalmology's leading Podcast

Firas Rahhal, M.D., partner of ExSight Ventures and Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group, and Scott Usiak, co-founder of ExSight Ventures, join host Carey Powers on the Eye on Innovation podcast to discuss their new venture, ExSight Catalyst. They dive into the services they provide to investors and colleagues, how they're filling a gap that a fund alone cannot fulfill, and what a client walks away with from their experience at Catalyst. 
 
In this episode, learn about:  
How compliance, risk, and operations from a global financial institution translate into advising early-stage ophthalmic innovators 
Conducting due diligence on companies how that’s helped with Catalyst 
What to expect from Catalyst in the next year 
The importance of being a doer and operator for an enterprise

PANELIST (TITLE and AFFILIATION):  
Richard L. Beckman, M.D., Principal, RLB, M.D. Consulting, LLC 
Malvina Eydelman, M.D., CEO, The Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation 
MODERATOR: Barbara Wirostko, M.D., FARVO, CMO and Co-Founder, Qlaris Bio 

Description:

How should you design your first-in-human study? Richard L. Beckman, M.D., principal of RLB, M.D. Consulting, LLC, and Malvina Eydelman, M.D., CEO of the Collaborative Community on Ophthalmic Innovation, sit down on a panel at OIS Ignite 2025, moderated by Barbara Wirostko, M.D., FARVO, CMO and co-founder, Qlaris Bio, to discuss what goes into designing first-in-human studies, including the preclinical work, the right people to advise you, and considering the population and patients. Also, stay tuned for updates on the next OIS Ignite, taking place on March 2027! 
 
In this episode, learn about:  
How the FDA can help and if it’s ever “too early” to reach out to them 
The FDA’s perspective  
Establishing a target product profile 
If a DSMB is recommended for trials 
 
RESOURCES:  
 
Barbara Wirostko: https://ois.net/barbara-wirostko-md-farvo/  
Richard L. Beckman: https://ois.net/richard-rick-l-beckman-md/  
Malvina Eydelman: https://ois.net/malvina-eydelman/

Gordon Bethwaite, head of marketing of eye care at Viatris, joins the Eye on Innovation podcast with host Carey Powers, M.B.A. to discuss Viatris’ footprint and impact on ophthalmology on a global scale. Bethwaite shares details on the company’s overall strategic vision for eye care, their fifth anniversary, and how it handles the “noisy category” that is dry eye.
 
In this episode, learn about: 
Viatris’ acquisitions and license agreements with different companies
What Tyrvaya brings to the table for clinicians and patients
How Viatris is tackling unmet markets
What innovation means to Viatris in the context of ophthalmology
 
RESOURCES: 
Carey Powers: https://ois.net/carey-powers/    
 
Gordon Bethwaite: https://ois.net/gordon-bethwaite/

Rakhi Melvani, M.D., board-certified cornea and cataract and refractive surgeon at Gordon Schanzlin New Vision Institute, joins the Eye on Innovation podcast with host Carey Powers, M.B.A. to discuss innovative corneal treatments and how they’re changing the way patients receive treatment. Their conversation explores the FDA approval of Epioxa, an epithelium-on corneal collagen cross-linking therapy to treat progressive keratoconus, as well as refractive surgery and dry eye therapies.  
 
In this episode, learn about:  
Ray tracing-based customization technology and how it’s different from Lasik 
Collagen mimetic peptides and how they work 
ST100 and the patients that would benefit from it 
 
RESOURCES:  
Carey Powers: https://ois.net/carey-powers/

Ehsan Sadri, M.D., CEO and founder of Visionary Eye Institute, joins the Eye on Innovation podcast to discuss the advancements of interventional glaucoma. With host Carey Powers, their conversation delves into how Sadri has changed patient care and management, the advancements he’s most excited for, and his thoughts on those who have yet to adopt interventional glaucoma as a practice mainstay. 
 
In this episode, learn about:  
The burden of drops on practices 
The characteristics to look for when choosing a minimally invasive procedure 
Metrics to evaluate success for interventional glaucoma procedures 
How patient education has evolved 
How interventional glaucoma procedures contribute positively toward patient adherence and engagement 
 
RESOURCES:  
Carey Powers: https://ois.net/carey-powers/     
Dr. Ehsan Sadri: https://ois.net/ehsan-sadri-md/