STAAR Surgical posts 12% sales drop as it shifts China-bound lens production to Switzerland

STAAR Surgical (NASDAQ: STAA) reported a 12% year-on-year fall in net sales for the third quarter, which ended on 2 October 2026. The company puts the decline down to the prior-year quarter, which was lifted by deferred revenue relating to China. It frames the drop as a comparison effect, not a stand-alone signal on demand.

The announcement also cites net sales of $83.4M and net income of $5.6M, and refers to a $50M share buyback in place. The information available to us does not break these figures down further, and we did not have the full release text, so we cannot say how they compare with earlier periods or with company guidance.

On operations, STAAR said it has finished moving all production of its implantable collamer lenses (ICLs) intended for China to Switzerland. That puts manufacturing for the market in one European location. The company has not given any cost, capacity or timing detail on the move in the material we reviewed.

STAAR also highlighted two label expansions for the ICL: the US, where the eligible age has risen to 60, and Brazil. Details of the Brazilian change and the timing of each were not provided. Separately, the company expects initial human studies of a presbyopia product to start enrolling in the coming months, subject to remaining regulatory authorisations, so the start date is not fixed.