STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses for the eye, today announced its partnership with Will Levis, quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). This partnership will raise awareness of the EVO Implantable Collamer^® Lenses (EVO ICL). The EVO ICL is a vision correction device that works in harmony with your natural eye, provides clear vision^1,2 day or night^1,3, and does not cause contact lens induced dry eye or dry eye syndrome^4,5. EVO ICL is proud to provide athletes like Levis with sharp^1,2 vision day or night^1,3, on and off the field.

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Will Levis, Titans QB, upgraded his vision with EVO ICL. (Photo: Business Wire)

The FDA-approved EVO ICL lenses are successful in correcting myopia, which affects distance vision, and myopia with astigmatism, which causes blurred vision at all distances. As a professional athlete, Levis struggled with his eyesight for 12 years, making it difficult to focus solely on the game while depending on his contact lenses. Earlier this year, Levis had EVO lenses implanted by his doctor to upgrade his vision and break free from the daily hassles of contact lenses and eyeglasses. Starting in September 2023, Levis will be sharing his journey with EVO to help drive education and awareness of EVO ICL among the millions of Americans who suffer from myopia and are looking for a proven and effective vision correction solution.

“Getting the EVO lenses has been one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the amazing results,” said Levis. “The ability to wake up with sharp, clear vision has been a game-changer. After learning about this cutting-edge technology, choosing EVO to upgrade my vision was an easy decision. As an athlete, I now have the confidence of knowing that my vision won’t be a worry for me and that my contact lenses won’t bother me during a game. I can’t wait to take my EVO vision out on the field this season.”

“As Will was looking at ways to prepare for his first NFL season, he wanted a premium solution for vision correction. Once he learned about EVO ICL and all of its benefits, EVO became an easy choice for him,” said Tom Frinzi, CEO of STAAR Surgical.

The EVO procedure involves implanting (or adding) a proprietary, biocompatible, flexible lens made from Collamer^® into the eye between the iris (colored part of the eye) and the natural lens to correct/reduce nearsightedness and astigmatism. The entire EVO ICL procedure typically takes about 20–30 minutes. Most patients experience improved vision right after the procedure. The EVO lens 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.

Although the EVO ICL lens is new to the U.S. market, it has been approved, marketed and successfully implanted by ophthalmologists throughout Europe, Asia and the rest of the world. According to a patient survey, 99.4% of patients would have the EVO ICL procedure again.⁶ Over 2,000,000 ICLs have been delivered globally.

For more information about EVO Implantable Collamer^® Lenses, please visit https://evoicl.com.

References

1. Martinez-Plazs E, Lopez-Miguel A, Lopez-De La Rosa A, et al. Effect of the EVO+ Visian Phakic Implantable Collamer Lens on Visual Performance and Quality of Vision and Life, Am J Ophthalmol 2021;226: 117–125.
2. Packer M. Evaluation of the EVO/EVO+ Sphere and Toric Visian ICL: Six month results from the United States Food and Drug Administration clinical trial. Clinical Ophthalmology. 2022;16:1541-53.
3. Parkhurst GD. A prospective comparison of phakic collamer lenses and wavefront-optimized laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis for correction of myopia. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016 Jun 29;10:1209-1215.
4. Ganesh S, Brar S, Pawar A. Matched population comparison of visual outcomes and patient satisfaction between 3 modalities for the correction of low to moderate myopic astigmatism. Clin Ophthalmol. 2017;11:1253-1263.
5. Naves, J. Carracedo, G. Cacho-Babillo, I. Diadenosine Nucleotid Measurements as Dry-Eye Score in Patients After LASIK and ICL Surgery. Presented at American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) 2012.
6. Packer M. The Implantable Collamer Lens with a central port: review of the literature. Clinical Ophthalmology 2018: 12: 2427–2438.

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 with companion delivery systems. 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 Visian ICL™ product line. More than 2,000,000 Visian^® ICLs have been sold to date and STAAR markets these lenses in over 75 countries. To learn more about the ICL go to: www.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.

Safe Harbor

All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements about any of the following: product safety, effectiveness, or performance for any particular patient, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include risks factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2022 under the caption “Risk Factors,” which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available in the “Investor Information” section of the company’s website under the heading “SEC Filings.” We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements due to new information or events. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

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 evoicl.com.

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