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Biotech / Medical : Staar Surgical STAA -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gcrispin who wrote (24)	5/1/1999 7:40:00 PM
From: Alan A. Hicks	Respond to of 50

The ICL is a very, very thin lens made from a collagen/polymer material that is actually 30% water. It is designed to be a very biocompatible material in the eye. When injected, it unfolds and rests in a natural pocket, the posterior chamber, between the natural lens and the iris. The ICL has been used for over five years internationally and is in its 5th generation of design. Surgeons have perfected the techniques to address issues affecting the ICL. It has been designed to have a "vault" that keeps it above the natural lens and does not rub against it. Also, it has been found is that a very important issue is placing the proper size ICL for the patient's eye. All eyes are a little different in size. If the ICL is too small for the patient, it could move around in the eye. With the proper sized ICL, there has been no problem with the ICL moving off center. Data from the FDA trials are showing both safe and effective results.

To: gcrispin who wrote (24)	5/1/1999 7:41:00 PM
From: Alan A. Hicks	Respond to of 50

STAAR's Q1 had record revenues with product revenues growing by $2 million or 14% from Q4 1998. At $0.05 EPS STAAR also beat the consensus of analyst estimates of $0.02 EPS and $14.1 million revenues. The conference call was very upbeat with good progress being reported on all fronts. Results are expected to improve each quarter going forward. Cruttenden Roth has reiterated their “Buy” with a 12-month price target of $12. Analyst Bill Gibson raised his estimate for 1999 from $0.15 to $0.21. Kinnard reiterated their “Strong Buy” with a 12-month target of $17. Analyst Richard Leza raised his estimate for 1999 from $0.20 to $0.21. STAAR reported the initial 1000 implants of Toric lenses required by the FDA for follow-up data were completed. STAAR had limited sales of the Toric to only its best doctors. Now STAAR has turned loose its sales force to begin selling the Toric to all eye surgeons being trained to use the Toric lens. As the only product on the market to correct astigmatism, STAAR is using the Toric to pull through other STAAR products by with a bundling strategy. STAAR's new collamer material will begin sales in Europe this month. STAAR believes it will be the most biocompatible material on the market. It will be another weapon STAAR has to take market share away from competitive products such as Alcon's acrylic IOL. STAAR expects approval for the collamer material in the U.S. by the FDA by the end of the year or early next year. ICL/Wick sales had another record quarter with nearly $1 million in revenues. ICL sales were strong in France, Spain and Italy and beginning to build momentum in Germany, England, South America, South Africa and Asia. STAAR has been training doctors in Switzerland and Austria. Interest continues to increase as clinical trials are close to being completed for both the ICL and the AquaFlow glaucoma wick. The trials for AquaFlow are expected to be completed in July. With the excellent results AquaFlow has been achieving to treat glaucoma which currently has no good treatment, STAAR believes the FDA is interested in putting AquaFlow on a fastrack for approval which could come as soon as the middle of 2000. Gross margins should gradually improve as STAAR's new international distributors gradually replace competitor's products with STAAR products. STAAR expects its new phaco emulsification machine to begin to contribute in the second half of this year. STAAR also expects approval by the FDA for STAAR to begin Phase III trials for the ICL for hyperopia this summer. StaarVisc, STAAR's new viscoelastic, could be approved at any time. It was an excellent quarter for STAAR and it looks like there will be more good news ahead. In the meantime, we can buy all the STAAR we want at rock bottom prices.

To: gcrispin who wrote (24)	5/12/1999 9:17:00 AM
From: Alan A. Hicks	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50

STAAR broke out of a 10 1/2 month downtrend yesterday on 4.5 times average daily volume. STAAR also broke above its 200-day moving average which should now begin to move sideways. The 200-day moving average is an important long-term trend indicator by chartists. By classical chart analysis STAA has broken its long-term down trend and is building a base between $7 1/4 and $11. A break above $11 and the 200-day moving average turning up would confirm a new long-term uptrend has begun for STAAR. Given that STAAR will finish clinical trials on the glaucoma wick and ICL over the next few months and with the new Toric IOL now ramping up and the new collamer material for IOLS, chances look good for STAAR to break above the $11 level and trend up towards its highs of $18 - $19.