Hemant Khanna

Hemant Khanna is Lead, Ophthalmology Strategy at Astellas Pharma and a seasoned research leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning translational science, gene therapy, and ophthalmic drug development. Previously Vice President of Preclinical Ocular Research at Iveric Bio, he played a key role in advancing innovative retinal therapeutics and contributed to the FDA approval of Izervay™ for geographic atrophy. Prior to industry, Hemant served as a tenured Associate Professor at UMass Chan Medical School, where he led pioneering research in inherited retinal diseases. His expertise spans discovery through clinical translation, including AAV gene therapies, small molecules, biomarker development, and regulatory strategy.