STAAR Surgical Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Implantable Collamer® Lens (ICL)

ICL Corrects/Reduces Refractive Error for Glasses and Contact Lens Wearers

99.4% of Patients Surveyed Would Have ICL Procedure Again¹

LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses for the eye, is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of its proprietary Implantable Collamer® Lens (ICL). The first ICLs were implanted by a group of surgeons in October 1993, including Roberto Zaldivar, MD, Founder of the Zaldivar Institute. The early ICLs have evolved into the current generation of ICLs with a central port – the EVO ICL™ family of lenses.

“We celebrate the 30^th anniversary of our ICL technology with surgeons and patients,” said Tom Frinzi, President and CEO of STAAR Surgical. “The collaboration between ophthalmic surgeons and industry is important and unique for advancing innovative technologies like ICL. We are proud of our association with Dr. Zaldivar and the many other clinicians that work with STAAR to positively impact the millions of patients who will benefit from our lenses.”

Myopia (nearsightedness), the most common refractive visual error, is a global epidemic that is expected to impact over half the world’s population by 2050.² EVO ICLs offer a lens-based alternative for the correction/reduction of refractive error in people who currently use glasses and/or contact lenses for vision correction.

The EVO procedure involves implanting (or adding) a proprietary and biocompatible EVO ICL into the eye between the iris (colored part of the eye) and the natural lens to correct/reduce nearsightedness with and without astigmatism. The entire EVO ICL procedure typically takes about 20–30 minutes and most patients experience improved vision right after the procedure. The EVO ICL can permanently correct vision without removing corneal tissue and, if desired, is removable by a doctor for added peace of mind. EVO ICL gives the patient flexibility for the future, while also helping to eliminate dependency on glasses and contact lenses now.

STAAR began selling the ICL in 1996. The ICL with the central port (EVO ICL) was first approved for commercial use in CE Mark countries in 2011 and in the United States in 2022.

¹ Packer M. The Implantable Collamer Lens with a central port: review of the literature. Clinical Ophthalmology 2018: 12:2427–2438.
² Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016.

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR, which has been dedicated solely to ophthalmic surgery for over 40 years, designs, develops, manufactures and markets implantable lenses for the eye. These lenses are intended to provide visual freedom for patients, lessening or eliminating the reliance on glasses or contact lenses. All of these lenses are foldable, which permits the surgeon to insert them through a small incision. STAAR’s lens used in refractive surgery is called an Implantable Collamer® Lens or “ICL,” which includes the EVO ICL™ product line. More than 2,500,000 ICLs have been sold to date and STAAR markets these lenses in over 75 countries. To learn more about the ICL go to: EVOICL.com. Headquartered in Lake Forest, CA, the company operates manufacturing and packaging facilities in Aliso Viejo, CA, Monrovia, CA, and Nidau, Switzerland. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.staar.com

Important Safety Information for EVO ICL

The EVO Visian ICL lens is intended to correct/reduce nearsightedness between -3.0 D up to -20.0 D and treat astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D. If you have nearsightedness within these ranges, EVO Visian ICL surgery may improve your distance vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Because the EVO Visian ICL corrects for distance vision, it does not eliminate the need for reading glasses, you may require them at some point, even if you have never worn them before. Since implantation of the EVO Visian ICL is a surgical procedure, before considering EVO Visian ICL surgery you should have a complete eye examination and talk with your eye care professional about EVO Visian ICL surgery, especially the potential benefits, risks, and complications. You should discuss the time needed for healing after surgery. Complications, although rare, may include need for additional surgical procedures, inflammation, loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea, increase in eye pressure, and cataracts. You should NOT have EVO Visian ICL surgery if your doctor determines that 1) the shape of your eye is not appropriate, 2) you do not meet the minimum endothelial cell density for your age at the time of implantation, 3) you have moderate to severe glaucoma, 4) your vision is not stable; or 5) if you are pregnant or nursing. For additional information with potential benefits, risks and complications please visit DiscoverICL.com.