RetinUp Podcast

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Show Summary

In this special RetinUp Mailbag episode, John Kitchens and Scott Krzywonos answer listener questions from retina specialists around the country about three issues: cash-pay diversification, the future of emerging therapies in light of payer realities, and how practices can realistically adopt expensive new technology as reimbursements decline.

The conversation explores whether concierge retina models could emerge in certain markets, how insurers may respond to high-cost innovations like gene therapy and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and what practical frameworks practices use when deciding...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guests:

Thomas Stone, MD – Program Committee Chair, ASRS Business of Retina Meeting

Maria Berrocal, MD – CEO, Drs. Berrocal & Associates; Associate Professor, University of Puerto Rico

David Mandell, JD, MBA – Co-Founder & Partner, OJM Group

Show Summary

RetinUp brings together three distinct but interconnected conversations focused on the business, surgical innovation, and financial realities of retina practice.

First, Tom Stone joins the show to preview the upcoming ASRS Business of Retina Meeting in Houston (March 20–22). He outlines this yea...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Show Summary:

In this emergency episode of RetinUp, John and Scott break down the newly announced SOL-1 study data evaluating Axpaxli (Ocular Therapeutix) for the treatment of wet AMD.

The superiority trial compared a single Axpaxli injection to a single Eylea injection (after all eyes received a pair of monthly Eylea doses) in patients with wet AMD. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients maintaining vision at 36 weeks (defined as losing fewer than 15 ETDRS letters).

Key findings include:

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Thomas Albini, MD

Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Course Co-Organizer, Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration Meeting

Show Summary:

In this episode, RetinUp offers pre-meeting coverage of the 2026 Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration meeting with one of its long-time course co-leaders, Thomas Albini, MD. John and Scott sit down with Tom to help listeners navigate what can be an overwhelming, marathon agenda—and to highlight the sessions most likely to shape retina care and research in th...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Elizabeth Cifers

Founder & Principal Consultant, Elizabeth Cifers Consulting

Show Summary:

In this episode, RetinUp introduces a new recurring segment, Vitreoretinal View, focused on surgical innovation and next-generation vitrectomy platforms. John breaks down where vitreoretinal surgery is headed, and comments on Alcon’s UNITY VCS system, flow-based vitrectomy, and his expectations for the next wave of surgical innovation.

But first, the conversation kicks off with a discussion of drug access and policy, as John and Scott revisit Ou...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Rishi P. Singh, MD

Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School

Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Mass General Brigham

Show Summary:

In this episode, John and Scott break down two major developments affecting retina practices nationwide before welcoming one of the field’s most influential leaders. The discussion opens with the newly announced CMS GLOBE Model, a Medicare Part B demonstration project designed to lower drug prices through most-favored-nation pricing, and what it could mean for buy-and-bill re...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Shane Dixon, Vice President of Vision, Strategic Advancement & Business Development, Cencora Specialty GPO

Show Summary:

In this episode, John and Scott continue their coverage of the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting with an in-depth conversation about the economic, policy, and operational forces reshaping retina practices. The discussion opens with key takeaways from the meeting’s opening sessions, including a deep dive into drug pricing policy, the downstream impact of federal legislation on how retina practices are reimbursed for care, and the co...

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD; Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Eric Besse, Vice President & General Manager, Besse Medical (a Cencora company)

Show Summary:

In this episode, Scott and John return from the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting in Dallas and sit down with Eric Besse, VP and General Manager of Besse Medical, to unpack the unseen infrastructure that keeps retina practices running. Eric shares how his family’s corner pharmacy grew into one of the most influential specialty distributors in the country and explains why drug distribution is far more than logistics — it’s practic...

RetinUp – Episode 3: Shutdown’s Effects on FDA ft. Alec Gaffney from POLITICO | Plus, PRIMA Implant + GLP-1 Data Dump

Hosts:

John Kitchens, MD

Scott Krzywonos

Guest:

Alexander Gaffney, VP of Regulatory Policy & Intelligence, Agency IQ / POLITICO

Show Summary:

In this episode, Scott calls in from the Outer Banks to discuss two major clinical headlines before turning to federal policy. First up is the PRIMA retinal prosthesis, a wireless subretinal chip that helped patients with geographic atrophy regain partial reading vision. Then, Scott and John analyze the rapidl...

Hosts:

Scott Krzywonos

John Kitchens, MD

Show Summary:

In this episode, Scott and John pick up where they left off — talking about the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting and how innovation is reshaping the field. They explore their favorite AAO host cities, the atmosphere of this year’s meeting, and the under-the-radar conversations shaping the future of retina.

Scott shares insights from iCelerator, his favorite ophthalmology meeting, which highlights how technology, AI, and macroeconomic forces are influencing eye care. The two discuss “oculomics” — using retinal data to understand systemic d...

In the debut episode of RetinUp, Drs. Scott Krzywonos and John Kitchens introduce their vision for the show—unfiltered conversations between retina specialists that capture the hallway and after-hours discussions rarely heard on stage.

They kick off by recapping highlights from the AAO Annual Meeting, including the first-ever full eye transplant, updates on Alcon’s Unity vitrectomy system, the LumiThera photobiomodulation platform, and the coming wave of AREDS 3 vitamins.

The episode then turns to a one-on-one interview with Cedric Francois, founder and CEO of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, whose journey from surgeon to biotech innovator led to the...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD & Scott Krzywonos

Duration: 2:15

Episode Summary

Welcome to RetinUp—the podcast where retina science meets real-world insight. Hosted by Dr. John Kitchens and Scott Krzywonos, RetinUp brings together leading voices in ophthalmology to explore new data, breakthrough research, and the stories behind the science shaping the future of retina care.

In this short trailer, John and Scott introduce the RetinUp mission, what listeners can expect from upcoming episodes, and how the show will connect researchers, clinicians, and innovators across the retina community.

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