Alcon has announced that it will acquire STAAR Surgical Company, manufacturer of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL).
The US$1.5 billion acquisition includes the EVO family of lenses (EVO ICL) for vision correction for patients with moderate to high myopia (nearsightedness), with or without astigmatism.
“With the number of high myopes rising globally, the acquisition of STAAR enhances our ability to offer a leading surgical vision correction solution for those who are not ideal candidates for other refractive surgeries such as LASIK,” said David Endicott, CEO of Alcon. “This transaction will allow us to provide treatment options across the full spectrum of myopia – from contact lenses to surgical interventions – reinforcing our commitment to addressing the most significant needs in eye care.”
An estimated 50% of the world will be myopic by 2050 and today nearly 500 million people are considered high myopes.1
This transaction will allow us to provide treatment options across the full spectrum of myopia – from contact lenses to surgical interventions
With its innovative design, the EVO family of ICLs are implantable lenses that address a wide range of vision correction needs, including myopia with and without astigmatism, through a minimally invasive procedure that is reversible. The EVO family of ICLs are implanted between the iris and the natural crystalline lens during a procedure that does not remove corneal tissue.
Stephen Farrell, CEO of STAAR said selling to Alcon would enable significant growth. “Alcon has the capabilities and scale to accelerate EVO ICL adoption and bring our innovative technology to more surgeons and patients worldwide.”
The transaction is anticipated to close in approximately six to 12 months, subject to customary closing conditions,
Reference
- Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Brien A Holden at al. Ophthalmology. 2016 May;123(5):1036-42.
