Philip J. Rosenfeld
The Power List 2018
Philip J. Rosenfeld
Professor of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
Philip pioneered the use of Avastin to treat wet AMD. A specialist in vitreoretinal diseases, he theorized, and then proved, that a small amount of the drug, which was approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, could be injected directly into the eye to help prevent blindness. He determined that this unique therapy was effective in stopping blood vessels from leaking, growing and damaging the retina in the eye. Results of these treatments were remarkable. Not only did Avastin stop further deterioration in vision from wet AMD, but also many patients gained significant improvements in their vision. This discovery has saved vision in millions, has become the standard of care for retina specialists throughout the world for its effectiveness, and has saved healthcare agencies billions of dollars. Philip also developed OCT-guided therapy, which has prevented unneeded injections and, once again, saved healthcare agencies billions of dollars. He has developed numerous algorithms for SD-OCT and SS-OCT imaging that are used in patient care and as endpoints in clinical trials. He has been heavily involved in developing anti-VEGF therapy for wet AMD and is now actively involved in developing novel therapies for dry AMD. He is a Fellowship director who has helped train a generation of medical retina specialists, and an educator and lecturer bringing his expertise and insights to the world of ophthalmology.
