The eye care giant’s latest acquisition brings EVO ICL technology and lenses to its growing myopia care lineup.
Alcon (Geneva, Switzerland) has entered into a definitive merger agreement with STAAR Surgical (California, USA) in a landmark $1.5 billion deal.
The move marks a strategic expansion of Alcon’s portfolio, adding STAAR’s renowned Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) technology, including the EVO family of lenses designed for moderate to high myopia with or without astigmatism.
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Alcon CEO David Endicott said: “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.”
The transaction is expected to finalize within six to twelve months, pending regulatory approvals and consent from STAAR’s shareholders. Once completed, the acquisition is projected to positively impact Alcon’s earnings starting in two years.
A year of acquisitions strengthening Alcon’s pipeline
The STAAR deal is the latest in a string of high-profile acquisitions by Alcon in 2025. In February, Alcon acquired Australian company Cylite, bringing Hyperparallel Optical Coherence Tomography (HP-OCT) technology into its diagnostics arsenal.
In March, the company boosted its cataract laser portfolio with a $356 million acquisition of LENSAR (Florida, USA), a company specializing in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and related technology.
That same month, Alcon ventured into regenerative ophthalmology by securing a majority stake in Aurion Biotech (Washington, USA). Most recently, in July, the eye care giant announced its plan to acquire Lumithera (Washington, USA) and its photobiomodulation (PBM) device for early and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
These moves reflect Alcon’s strategy to create a seamless integration of diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic technologies—an ecosystem designed to empower ophthalmologists and improve patient outcomes.
What this means for patients and surgeons
According to Alcon, the STAAR acquisition complements this vision, enabling the company to offer a robust surgical solution for myopia management that appeals to both surgeons and patients globally.
Stephen Farrell, CEO of STAAR, also expressed optimism that this partnership will overcome recent market challenges: “As we’ve shared, fluctuating demand in China over the past two years has continued to create significant headwinds for STAAR as a standalone company. I’m proud of our team’s efforts to address recent challenges, but there is more work to do. As a significantly larger company, Alcon has the capabilities and scale to accelerate EVO ICL adoption and bring our innovative technology to more surgeons and patients worldwide.”
Surgeons will now benefit from an expanded portfolio that spans contact lenses, laser correction and implantable lenses—allowing for tailored approaches to myopia care. For patients, this means access to cutting-edge, customizable solutions that offer superior visual outcomes with minimally invasive procedures.
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Editor’s Note: For more information, please see Alcon’s official press release here.
This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.