Cobra Kai Star Peyton List is the Latest Celebrity Bringing Life Into Focus with EVO ICL Lenses

STAAR Surgical Company (NASDAQ: STAA), a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses, today announced a partnership with actress and beauty entrepreneur, Peyton List, to further its mission of bringing EVO Implantable Collamer® Lenses (EVO) to the millions of Americans who suffer from myopia or nearsightedness. EVO is an FDA-approved vision correction lens designed for the correction/reduction of myopia with or without astigmatism. In December 2022, List had EVO lenses implanted by her doctor (EVO procedure) to finally put an end to her many years of personal vision frustrations such as torn contact lenses on set, irritating makeup-smudged contacts during her beauty routine, and forgotten glasses when she was on the road.

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Peyton List, actress and entrepreneur, sets her sights on a new acting role without the hassles of eyeglasses and contact lenses thanks to her new EVO ICL lenses - a life-changing vision correction lens designed for the correction/reduction of myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism. Recently, List had EVO lenses implanted by her doctor to upgrade her vision. Visit https://evoicl.com/. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/Invision for STAAR Surgical Company/AP Images)

Peyton List, most recently known for her role in the Netflix series, Cobra Kai, has an exciting new year ahead, starting with a brand-new show on Paramount Plus, School Spirits. To better prepare and focus on her busy 2023, she decided to correct her distance vision by undergoing the EVO procedure, which involves adding a small, flexible lens in both eyes that doesn’t remove any cornea tissue. List went from struggling with the hassles of contact lenses, both on and off the film set, to having clear 20/20 vision following the EVO procedure. EVO is different from other vision correction procedures, like LASIK, because it provides sharp, clear vision day and night while preserving the cornea.^2,3

“I’ve had problems with my vision longer than I haven’t. The worst is being in the middle of a day and feeling a contact lens rip and spending the rest of the day with one blurry eye,” said Peyton List. “After learning about vision correction options from my doctor, EVO was the most appealing because there is minimal down time, it does not cause dry eye syndrome and if I ever wanted to, the lenses are removable by my doctor for my added peace of mind.”

Ophthalmologist Neda Shamie, M.D., who performed the EVO procedure for List, stated, “Peyton List was a dream patient of mine and now she has fantastic 20/20 vision thanks to the EVO lenses. Peyton was amazed at how quickly her vision improved after such little downtime and I am thrilled for her.”

Starting this month, a new EVO digital campaign entitled “A Pey in the Life”, will follow Peyton List throughout her EVO journey. Filmed authentically at different moments, the videos show the ease of her EVO vision correction experience as well as the benefits she is now experiencing since the procedure in December 2022.

“Peyton List longed for a day when she no longer struggled with her vision problems and all the daily frustrations with contact lenses and eyeglasses on and off the set. With her new EVO lenses implanted, she is amazed at how seamless the procedure was for her and how wonderful daily life has become,” said Tom Frinzi, President and CEO of STAAR Surgical. “Now that Peyton List has experienced for herself how minimal the recovery time is with EVO, she encourages everyone to free themselves from the struggle of daily contacts and eyeglasses. We too hope that others with vision correction needs are inspired by Peyton’s story and why she chose EVO over other vision correction options, and will check with their doctor to see if EVO is an option for them to follow in her footsteps.”

Myopia is the most common ocular disorder worldwide and its prevalence is increasing rapidly. It is estimated more than 30% of the world's population (2.6 billion people) has myopia and this number is projected to rise to 50% of the global population by the year 2050.¹

EVO lenses can permanently correct/reduce myopia with or without astigmatism without removing corneal tissue and, if desired, are removable by a doctor for added peace of mind. The EVO procedure involves implanting (or adding) a proprietary, biocompatible, flexible lens made from Collamer® into the eye between the iris (colored part of the eye) and the natural lens to correct/reduce nearsightedness with or without astigmatism. The EVO procedure takes about 20-30 minutes for each eye. The EVO lens works in harmony with the natural eye while delivering sharp, clear vision, excellent night vision, built-in UV protection, and does not induce dry eye syndrome.^2,3,4 Most patients experience improved vision right after the procedure.

While the EVO ICL lens is new to the U.S. market, it has been approved, marketed and successfully implanted by ophthalmologists throughout Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. According to a patient survey, 99.4% of patients would have the EVO ICL procedure again.⁵ Over 2,000,000 ICLs have been distributed globally.

For more information about EVO Implantable Collamer® Lenses, visit https://EVOICL.com.

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About STAAR Surgical

STAAR, which has been dedicated solely to ophthalmic surgery for over 40 years, designs, develops, manufactures and markets implantable lenses for the eye. These lenses are intended to provide visual freedom for patients, lessening or eliminating the reliance on glasses or contact lenses. All of these lenses are foldable, which permits the surgeon to insert them through a small incision. STAAR’s lens used in refractive surgery is called an Implantable Collamer® Lens or “ICL”, which includes the EVO ICL™ product line. More than 2,000,000 ICLs have been sold to date and STAAR markets these lenses in over 75 countries. To learn more about the ICL go to: EVOICL.com. Headquartered in Lake Forest, CA, the company operates manufacturing and packaging facilities in Aliso Viejo, CA, Monrovia, CA and Nidau, Switzerland. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.staar.com.

Safe Harbor

All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including statements about any of the following: product safety, effectiveness, or performance for any particular patient, and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include risks factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 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.” We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements due to new information or events. 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.

Important Safety Information for EVO ICL

The EVO ICL lens is intended to correct/reduce nearsightedness between -3.0 D up to -20.0 D and treat astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D. If you have nearsightedness within these ranges, the EVO ICL procedure may improve your distance vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Because the EVO ICL corrects for distance vision, it does not eliminate the need for reading glasses, you may require them at some point, even if you have never worn them before. Since implantation of the EVO ICL is a surgical procedure, before considering the EVO ICL procedure you should have a complete eye examination and talk with your eye care professional about the EVO ICL procedure, especially the potential benefits, risks, and complications. You should discuss the time needed for healing after the procedure. Complications, although rare, may include need for additional surgical procedures, inflammation, loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea, increase in eye pressure, and cataracts. You should NOT have the EVO ICL procedure if your doctor determines that 1) the shape of your eye is not appropriate, 2) you do not meet the minimum endothelial cell density for your age at the time of implantation, 3) you have moderate to severe glaucoma, 4) your vision is not stable; or 5) if you are pregnant or nursing.

For additional information with potential benefits, risks and complications please visit DiscoverICL.com.

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“After learning about vision correction options from my doctor, EVO was the most appealing because there is minimal down time, it does not cause dry eye syndrome and if I ever wanted to, the lenses are removable by my doctor for my added peace of mind.”