LAKE FOREST, Calif.—STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses for the eye, reported preliminary sales for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 30, 2022. Preliminary net sales were approximately $64 million for the fourth quarter and approximately $284 million for fiscal 2022. The company anticipates U.S. ICL (implantable collamer lenses) sales will be approximately $4.5 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 as compared to $2.3 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, which represents 94 percent year-to-year growth.

Fiscal 2022 preliminary net sales include approximately $270 million of ICL sales and approximately $14 million of sales from the other products business which the company previously announced is being exited.

“STAAR’s fourth quarter preliminary sales reflect continued growth from EVO lenses in the U.S. with units up 109 percent year over year," said Tom Frinzi, president and CEO of STAAR Surgical. “We are updating our fiscal 2023 net sales outlook to approximately $340 million which takes into consideration a restorative first quarter in China ahead of what we believe will be a strong recovery in visits by patients seeking visual freedom beginning in the second quarter.

"Commitments by our surgeon customers in China for fiscal 2023 EVO sales growth remain at higher levels than the fourth quarter. Our updated fiscal 2023 net sales outlook of $340 million represents ICL sales growth of approximately 25 percent over preliminary fiscal 2022 ICL sales of $270 million,” Frinzi said.

“These are exciting times at STAAR where EVO continues to increase its market share and already has earned more than 25 percent of the refractive procedures in China and Japan. We remain focused on helping our customers make EVO the standard of care around the world for patients seeking visual freedom from glasses and contacts.

Similar to our experience in the past, we are confident the COVID-related headwinds in China are transient and expect them to subside. We have a significant opportunity for EVO in the U.S. along with what we see as a pent-up demand opportunity in China as well as continued high demand throughout Asia and improvement in Europe versus 2022,” Frinzi concluded.

The company expects to report complete fourth quarter and fiscal year results on or about Feb. 22, 2023.