STAAR Surgical Company (STAA) Canaccord Genuity's MedTech, Diagnostics and Digital Health & Services Forum summary

Strategic priorities and leadership

• Priorities for the next phase: restore revenue growth, return to profitability and establish a structured innovation pipeline after years of disruption.

• Leadership additions include CTO Ben Park, a new BD head and Asia Pacific VP; former CEO David Bailey returned as Chief Commercial Officer to improve execution, field incentives, channel choices and cost leverage.

• Innovation projects are being organized into a portfolio to guide investment and capital allocation.

China growth and supply

• China revenue grew 31% YoY on an adjusted basis in Q3, with growth driven by mix and ASP as EVO+ (V5 locally) and toric lenses gained share.

• V5 launch demand, beginning in January 2026, exceeded expectations and created Swiss production and product-mix complexity; Q3 shipments fell short of potential demand.

• DEKRA approval for the Swiss plant’s second clean room enables additional capacity; China-bound future production is now being built in Switzerland, with V4 and V5 production and Q4 stock-building underway.

• V5 mix grew from ~30% at Q2 exit; toric lenses are custom-made and carry a premium, with V5 toric the highest-priced product.

Market trends and competitive position

• Management cited three consecutive years of double-digit LASIK volume declines in the U.S. and double-digit ICL increases in most markets, attributing the shift partly to patient preference for removable, reversible correction.

• Collamer was positioned as a differentiator versus acrylic phakic lenses; management cited more than 30 years of demonstrated biocompatibility and a 90%+ leadership position in phakic IOLs.

• ZEISS’s LUNANA entry may elevate awareness of lens-based correction; management noted the launch would lack a toric option and that adoption requires approvals, listings, pricing and inventory across Chinese hospitals.