Episode 31 - Innovations in Keratoconus Care

About this episode

The episode discusses advances in keratoconus diagnosis and treatment with experts from Epion Therapeutics.

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett welcomes the Chief Medical Officer at Epion Therapeutics Dr. Michael Belin, and VP Clinical Operations at Epion Therapeutics Tiffany Haynes to discuss advances in keratoconus diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Bellin highlights the importance of early detection and intervention, made possible by modern imaging tools like corneal tomography. The conversation also covers Epion’s Phase 3 clinical trial of EpiSmart, a new epithelium-on crosslinking intended to preserve the cornea’s surface, reduce discomfort, speed up recovery time, and minimize the risk of scar formation and infection. Tiffany explains how patients can join the clinical trial, currently enrolling at 26 sites in the United States.

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Melissa Barnett

Guests: Dr. Michael Belin, Tiffany Haynes

Topics covered

• keratoconus
• diagnosis
• treatment
• clinical trial
• imaging tools
• corneal tomography

Keywords

• keratoconus
• diagnosis
• treatment
• clinical trial
• EpiSmart
• corneal tomography
• early detection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Epion Therapeutics

Products: EpiSmart

More episodes of Clearly KC Podcast

• Episode 39: From Patient to Advocate: A Nurse Researcher's Story on Keratoconus · April 20, 2026 · 25 min
• Episode 38: The Ocular Surface Equation: Strategies for Dry Eye and KC · February 26, 2026 · 18 min
• Episode 37: AI, Insight, and Innovation: A New Era in Keratoconus Diagnosis · January 15, 2026 · 16 min
• Episode 36: Broadening Horizons: Perceptual Learning in Keratoconus Management · September 27, 2025 · 15 min
• Episode 35: Stronger Together: Collaborative Care for Keratoconus · May 25, 2025 · 14 min
• Episode 34-Rethinking Rare: Raising Awareness and Rewriting the Keratoconus Narrative · April 17, 2025 · 19 min