Marci English and Erin Kimbrel, PhD, of Astellas discuss Phase 1b interim results for ASP7317, an investigational RPE cell therapy showing functional vision gains in advanced GA — plus two pipeline programs for Stargardt disease and glaucoma. Murtaza Adam, MD, then makes the case for IV-free vitreoretinal surgery, and the hosts discuss what office-based surgery will take to become a reality.

Clorinda Walley of Good Days joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos to explain how the patient assistance organization works, who qualifies, and how retina specialists can help sustain its funding. Prof. Paulo Stanga then presents the inaugural Image of the Month: a papillophlebitis case showing how pre-visit Optos Silverstone RGB imaging can redirect a diagnosis before the physician enters the room.

Proposed Medicare and Medicaid cuts, heads-up 3D surgical visualization, and the SOL-1 Phase 3 superiority trial all take center stage as Stanford's Darius Moshfeghi, MD, joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos to unpack what Axpaxli's superiority outcome over aflibercept means for retina practice — and what comes next with SOL-R.

Ross Lakhanpal, MD, traces the founding of the Vit-Buckle Society from informal fellow dinners to one of retina's most distinctive meetings, sharing how a drive to preserve surgical education grew into a community defined by creativity and honesty.

Aleksandra Ratchitskaya, MD, then previews the 2026 VBS meeting, covering expanded trainee programming, new educational tracks, and the open-dialogue format that has become the meeting's trademark.

In a breaking news episode, John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos react to Biogen's $5.6 billion acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals and what it could mean for Syfovre, geographic atrophy treatment, and Apellis' momentum in retina.

Clinical innovation takes center stage as Marion Munk, MD, shares real-world photobiomodulation experience in AMD using the Valeda Light Delivery System, and Norlase co-founder Oliver Hvidt explains how next-generation portable laser systems are being engineered around workflow efficiency. The episode opens with a discussion on optometric scope expansion and why the reality may be less disruptive than feared.

In this Mailbag episode, John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos answer listener questions on cash-pay diversification in retina, how payers may respond to emerging therapies like TKIs and gene therapy, and how practices weigh ROI when adopting new technology as reimbursements decline.

The ASRS Business of Retina Meeting, flow-based vitrectomy on the Alcon UNITY VCS, and physician wealth strategy all take center stage as Tom Stone, MD, Maria Berrocal, MD, and David Mandell join John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos for a wide-ranging conversation on the business and surgical realities of retina practice.

SOL-1 superiority trial data for Axpaxli in wet AMD takes center stage, with a breakdown of what the results mean for treatment durability, why market reaction diverged from clinical enthusiasm, and what comes next with SOL-R and a potential FDA submission.

Pre-meeting coverage of the 2026 Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration meeting with course co-leader Thomas Albini, MD, covering what to watch in AI, geographic atrophy, wet AMD durability, and a concentrated hour of gene therapy talks that John calls the single must-see block of the day.

Drug access, surgical innovation, and coding compliance converge as John and Scott revisit Outlook Therapeutics' failed FDA bid for ONS-5010, introduce the new Vitreoretinal View segment with a look at flow-based vitrectomy on Alcon UNITY VCS, and sit down with coding expert Elizabeth Cifers on Modifier -25, Modifier -59, and how AI-driven pre-pay audits are reshaping compliance risk in retina practices.

The CMS GLOBE Model, EYLEA HD's expanded label, and academic medicine's evolving role all take center stage as Rishi P. Singh, MD, newly appointed Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos to reflect on leadership, the path from retina specialist to hospital CEO, and how academic centers must adapt to policy shifts and private equity pressure.

Drug pricing policy, billing changes, and the mechanics of group purchasing converge as Shane Dixon, VP at Cencora Specialty GPO, joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos with a 360-degree view of how drugs move from manufacturer to patient — and how retina practices can survive tightening margins amid federal legislation and reimbursement pressure.

Eric Besse, VP and General Manager of Besse Medical, joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos to trace how a family pharmacy grew into one of the country's most influential specialty distributors — and why drug distribution in retina is as much about practice support, financial stewardship, and technology integration as it is about logistics.

The PRIMA retinal prosthesis, GLP-1 receptor agonists and retinal disease, and FDA operational capacity all take center stage as Alexander Gaffney from POLITICO's Agency IQ joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos to explain how government shutdowns and staff reductions may be creating a regulatory backlog with lasting consequences for ophthalmic drug approvals.

AAO meeting takeaways, oculomics, and the next wave of retina therapies all come into focus as Scott and John break down Eyecelerator highlights, the case for targeting diabetic retinopathy over DME, how FDA study design changes could reshape drug approval, and what to expect from the upcoming Cencora meeting on drug distribution in retina practice.

From the first eye transplant to the first therapy for geographic atrophy, Episode 1 sets the tone for RetinUp— candid, curious, and clinically relevant. Drs. Krzywonos and Kitchens explore how preparation meets luck, and how visionaries like Cedric Francois turn bold ideas into breakthroughs for patients.