Subretinal injections represent one of the most targeted yet invasive approaches in ocular therapy. While they are gaining ground in gene therapy development, clinical concerns remain around surgical risk, formulation demands, and long-term safety. 

This session brings a lens to the realities of delivering into the subretinal space.

• Explore the true clinical burden of subretinal delivery: a full vitrectomy, specialized surgical training, and the risk of permanent retinal detachment
• Understand why subretinal delivery has been mostly confined to gene therapy and what would need to change for devices or new modalities to enter this space
• Discuss key formulation challenges, including mechanical constraints for cells or biomaterials, and the difficulty of ensuring therapeutic distribution across the retina
• Thoughts on immunosuppressants: helpful but limited, with short-term use standard and long-term risks not yet well managed