Largest Presence Ever for STAAR Surgical and the Visian® ICL Technology at Upcoming ESCRS

MONROVIA, Calif., Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses and delivery systems for the eye, today provided a preview of the activities comprising the Company's largest presence ever at the 2014 Congress of European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) to be held in London, September 13 - 17, 2014.  During the Congress, STAAR will host several key activities where the Visian ICL product line will be highlighted including: the Visian ICL Experts Meeting, an expanded presence in the ESCRS Exhibit area, a Speaker's Forum in STAAR's booth, and a Lunch Symposium on preserving the cornea.

"STAAR's presence at the ESCRS increases each year and this will be another exciting and productive week in our history," said Hans Blickensdoerfer, President of Europe, Middle East and Latin America for STAAR. "During the week there are 80 planned presentations on the Visian ICL technology.  We will also be celebrating more than 450,000 successful implants of the Visian ICL, including now over 75,000 implants of the Visian ICL with CentraFLOW utilizing the KS-AquaPORT^® technology.  Procedures utilizing our Visian ICL technology continue to grow globally, while LASIK continues to be under downward pressure.  A highlight of the week will be our Visian ICL Experts meeting with confirmed attendance of approximately 250 experienced ICL surgeons who will be participating in clinical and technical presentations highlighting the benefits from the latest technology enhancements including the CentraFLOW technology and the Preloaded ICL System, as well as discussion on the next generation ICL designed to delay the need of reading glasses."

STAAR is hosting its 11th Annual Visian ICL Experts Meeting in London prior to the official opening of the ESCRS Congress on September 11 - 12, 2014.  This year's meeting will consist of 23 clinical presentations, 14 roundtable discussion sessions and a panel session on the Visian ICL technology.  The attending surgeons are from 40 countries and the anticipated attendance represents a 65% increase over the 2013 ICL Experts Meeting.  Key topics being presented include:

• Dr. Zaldivar from Argentina will look back on his 20 years of experience with the Visian ICL technology and how the enhancements to the product have provided increased efficacy and safety over those years.
• Benefits of the new Visian ICL Preloaded System which gained CE Mark approval in late June will be discussed.
• Technical presentation of the visual simulation of the new ICL optic design, for which a Provisional Patent Application has been filed. This optic is designed to delay the need for reading glasses in those over the age of 40.
• Dr. Alfonso from Spain will present his clinical data reflecting the enhanced safety profile of the Visian ICL with CentraFLOW after three years of successful implants.
• Dr. Kwon from Korea will present how same day ICL procedures have impacted patient and surgeon experience.
• Dr. Eissa from Saudi Arabia will present why he chose the Visian ICL for his own eyes.

The ESCRS Congress official program will begin on Saturday and includes 32 presentations in which the Visian ICL technology will be highlighted.  These presentations include: papers presented from the podium, electronic interactive poster presentations, and two instructional courses on the ICL as well as the first ever session exclusively for posterior chamber phakic IOLs. 

A lunch symposium during the ESCRS meeting will take place on Saturday.  The title of the Symposium is Refractive Surgery and Preserving the Cornea for the Future.  Key speakers and presentations will be made by: Dr. Amar Agarwal from India, Dr. J. F. Alfonso from Spain, Dr. A. El-Danasoury from Saudi Arabia, Dr. S. Eissa from Saudi Arabia, Dr. K. Shimizu from Japan and Dr. R. Zaldivar from Argentina.  The symposium room scheduled will allow for the attendance of 300 surgeons.

New product highlights will include the marketing launch of the preloaded ICL system, which gained CE Mark approval in June. The week will also feature initial technical presentations on the optic results from the V6a ICL project for which a confirmatory study is set to begin at the end of this month. The V6a ICL differentiates ICL for myopic patients nearing age 40 who will need near and intermediate adds.

About STAAR Surgical

STAAR, which has been dedicated solely to ophthalmic surgery for over 25 years, designs, develops, manufactures and markets implantable lenses for the eye and delivery systems therefor. All of these lenses are foldable, which permits the surgeon to insert them through a small incision. STAAR's lens used in refractive surgery as an alternative to LASIK is called an Implantable Collamer® Lens or "ICL." A lens used to replace the natural lens after cataract surgery is called an intraocular lens or "IOL." More than 450,000 Visian ICLs have been implanted to date; to learn more about the ICL go to: www.visianinfo.com. STAAR has approximately 335 full time employees and markets lenses in over 60 countries. Headquartered in Monrovia, CA, it manufactures in Aliso Viejo, CA and Monrovia, CA. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.staar.com.

Safe Harbor

All statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements about any of the following: objectives of management for future operations or prospects for achieving its plans; statements regarding new or improved products, including but not limited to, expectations for success of new or improved products in the U.S. or international markets or government approval of new or improved products; future economic conditions or size of market opportunities; expected costs and savings from business consolidation plans and the timetable for those plans; statements of belief, including as to achieving 2014 growth plans or metrics; expected regulatory activities and approvals, product launches, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.  Important additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 3, 2014, 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."

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. The risks and uncertainties include the following: our limited capital resources and limited access to financing; the negative effect of unstable global economic conditions on sales of products, especially products such as the ICL used in non-reimbursed elective procedures; the challenge of managing our foreign subsidiaries; backlog or supply delays as we fully integrate our manufacturing facility consolidation; the risk of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rate; the discretion of regulatory agencies to approve or reject new or improved products, or to require additional actions before approval (including but not limited to FDA requirements regarding the TICL and/or actions related to the FDA Warning Letter); the risk that research and development efforts will not be successful or may be delayed in delivering for launch; the willingness of surgeons and patients to adopt a new or improved product and procedure; patterns of Visian ICL use that have typically limited our penetration of the refractive procedure market, and a general decline in the demand for refractive surgery particularly in the U.S. and the Asia Pacific region, which STAAR believes has resulted from both concerns about the safety and effectiveness of laser procedures and current economic conditions.  The Visian Toric ICL, the Visian ICL with CentraFLOW and the ICL Preloaded System are not yet approved for sale in the United States.

SOURCE STAAR Surgical Company