Alcon and STAAR Surgical Announce Expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino Waiting Period for Alcon’s Acquisition of STAAR

Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC), the global leader in eye care dedicated to helping people see brilliantly, and STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA) (“STAAR”), the manufacturer of the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), today announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (HSR), in connection with Alcon’s acquisition of STAAR, expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 29, 2025.

As previously announced, under the terms of the agreement, Alcon will purchase all outstanding shares of STAAR common stock for $28 per share in cash, which represents approximately a 59% premium to STAAR’s 90-day volume weighted average price and a 51% premium to the closing price of STAAR common stock on August 4, 2025 (the day prior to the transaction announcement). The transaction represents a total equity value of approximately $1.5 billion.

“We are pleased to reach this milestone towards the closing of our acquisition of STAAR. Together with STAAR, Alcon will be able to offer treatment options across the full spectrum of myopia, reinforcing our commitment to addressing the most significant needs in eye care,” said David Endicott, CEO of Alcon.

“With the expiration of HSR, we are one step closer toward completing this value-maximizing transaction for STAAR stockholders. In addition to providing our stockholders with compelling, certain, and premium cash value, Alcon’s resources will enable us to accelerate adoption of EVO ICL by surgeons and patients. We look forward to closing the transaction and delivering to our stakeholders its many benefits,” said Stephen Farrell, CEO of STAAR.

Alcon and STAAR continue to anticipate that the transaction will close within six to 12 months of the initial merger agreement announcement, which occurred on August 5, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval and approval by STAAR’s stockholders.

STAAR will hold a virtual Special Meeting of Stockholders on October 23 at 8:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) to vote to adopt the Alcon merger proposal. Stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 12, 2025, are entitled to vote at the meeting. The STAAR Board of Directors unanimously recommends that all STAAR stockholders vote “FOR” the merger proposal on the “WHITE” proxy card TODAY.

STAAR stockholders with questions about voting their shares should contact STAAR’s proxy solicitor, Innisfree M&A Incorporated:

• For stockholders: [phone] (toll-free)
• For banks and brokerage firms: [phone]

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is serving as financial advisor to Alcon, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is serving as legal advisor to Alcon. Citi is serving as the exclusive financial advisor to STAAR, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal advisor to STAAR.