From drug delivery wins to chatbot scribes, Day 2 in Paris proves retina science is très on point.
As the Seine sparkled under the Parisian autumn sun, Day 2 of EURETINA 2025 unfolded with the same brilliance inside the conference halls. With café au lait in hand and insights on the mind, Europe’s leading retina specialists continued their pursuit of ophthalmic excellence at the 25th Congress of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA 2025).
The second day brought together a vibrant mix of seasoned experts and rising stars, all united by their passion for retinal health. The mood? Electric with possibility, tempered by the thoughtful skepticism that keeps science sharp…très chic, if you will.
READ MORE: Day 1 of EURETINA’s 25th Birthday Celebration Kicks Off in Paris
Session highlights
The morning’s diabetic retinopathy session showed that the retina isn’t shy about giving early signals. From microglia to AI phenotyping, subtle shifts are telling us where diagnostics may head next. It’s très raffiné science: sophisticated and precise.
Click to see what the retina is trying to tell us before vision fades: The Retina’s Early Warnings.
Retinal injections are going à la mode: longer-lasting implants, robotic finesse and clever suprachoroidal access. Innovations from this session suggest the future of retinal drug delivery is stylish, smart and decidedly less repetitive.
Click to reveal ways to cut injection fatigue without cutting corners: Breaking the Injection Habit: Smarter Retinal Drug Delivery Unveiled at EURETINA 2025.
From VR perimetry to chatbot scribes, this afternoon artificial intelligence session asked the très grande question: hype or practical? The panel darted from clinic letters to the OR, pausing only to wrestle with bias, bots and whether robots will ever steal the scalpel.
Click to see who’s putting the “intelligence” in AI: How to Move From Hype to Practice With AI in Retina Care.
Industry updates
Roche (Booth #2.B30, 2.B40) unveiled one-year results from the SALWEEN study of faricimab in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).
Patients achieved a mean improvement of +8.9 letters in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)—nearly two additional lines on a standard eye chart. Perhaps more remarkably, 61% of patients achieved complete polypoidal lesion regression, and 86% achieved polypoidal lesion inactivation.
The durability data particularly caught attendees’ attention: over 50% of patients were on extended five-month dosing at the one-year mark. For a historically challenging condition, these results offer a significant advance in treatment options and a très pratique reduction in patient burden.
“The SALWEEN study is a milestone because it directly addresses the unmet needs of PCV patients in Asia, a population that has long been underrepresented in global trials. The data show that faricimab offers not only strong efficacy but also extended durability, with more than 90% of patients able to move to 12- or 16-week dosing, and over half reached 20-week intervals by year one,” shared Prof. Timothy Lai of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the study’s principal investigator.
Prof. Lai emphasized that this is particularly meaningful in a region where treatment burden is a major challenge. “Many patients require frequent injections to maintain vision, which can be financially and logistically difficult. SALWEEN demonstrates that positive outcomes can be sustained with fewer treatments, an important step towards improving long-term adherence and reducing pressure on patients, caregivers and the healthcare system,” he added.
Meanwhile, the ophthalmic surgical equipment space is heating up, with dual-function platforms becoming the new must-have for surgical centers. Following Alcon’s Unity debut at APACRS 2025 in India, EURETINA saw the unveiling of two new contenders in the phaco-vitrectomy arena.
READ MORE: Alcon Rolls Out UNITY VCS and CS Systems for Cataract and Vitreoretinal Surgery
BVI Medical (Booth #2.C30) introduced Virtuoso, a dual-function system that promises advanced fluidics control and enhanced energy delivery. According to Dr. Tommaso Rossi, “[the system’s] Load Sensing Phaco maintains the programmed U/S energy regardless of lens resistance,” potentially offering more consistent phacoemulsification performance.
Swiss manufacturer Oertli (Booth #3.B30, 3.A11) has also launched the OS 4 Up, featuring a “dynamic infusion concept” that responds in real time to surgical dynamics. Their new Continuous Flow Cutter provides 60% more aspiration in 23G, promising to keep vitreoretinal procedures flowing smoothly.
With dual-function systems making anterior-to-posterior transitions smoother, surgical centers may soon find their efficiency as bien rodée as a Parisian metro schedule.
LYNX, the latest innovation from Norlase (Booth #3.A50), was also on display for the first time at EURETINA, marking the world’s first fully-integrated pattern laser indirect ophthalmoscope (LIO). The headset carries the laser source directly, weighing just 800 g. With the headset, wireless tablet and footswitch, doctors gain freedom from tethered consoles and fiber optics, all while delivering pattern laser treatment anytime, anywhere.
Until tomorrow…
As the lights of Paris twinkle outside our windows, we’re reminded that while the City of Light may captivate our eyes, it’s what we’re learning here that will help preserve the vision of countless others. And that, dear colleagues, is truly a vue magnifique.
Until tomorrow, keep your outlook clear and your diagnostic skills sharper than a 25-gauge needle…et toujours prêt à impress!
Editor’s Note: The 25th EURETINA Congress is being held from 4-7 September, in Paris, France. Reporting for this story took place during the event. This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.