<div id="readability-page-1">11:28 AM EST, 12/11/2025 (MT Newswires) -- STAAR Surgical ( STAA ) refuted Thursday investor Broadwood Partners' allegations, saying there was no &#34;credible buyer&#34; during the go-shop process related to the Alcon ( ALC ) merger deal.Earlier on Thursday, Broadwood, which owns 30.2% of STAAR, questioned management's omission of an inbound expression of interest from a private equity firm in a proxy statement supplement previously released by STAAR.STAAR said it engaged with a &#34;potentially interested party,&#34; which it believes is FountainVest, in good faith, and encouraged it to sign a nondisclosure agreement and submit an acquisition proposal.FountainVest, however, failed to sign a nondisclosure agreement before the go-shop period expired last week, according to STAAR.STAAR said it will hold a special stockholders meeting on Dec. 19 to vote on Alcon's ( ALC ) increased all-cash offer of $30.75 per share.FountainVest did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.Shares of STAAR Surgical ( STAA ) were up more than 4% in recent trading Thursday, while Alcon ( ALC ) shares were down 1%.Price: 25.00, Change: +1.01, Percent Change: +4.21 MT Newswires does not provide investment advice. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.</div>

STAA

STAAR Surgical refuted Broadwood Partners' claims, stating no credible buyer emerged during the go-shop process for the Alcon merger. STAAR engaged with FountainVest, but they didn't sign a nondisclosure agreement before the period expired. A special stockholders meeting is set for Dec. 19 to vote on Alcon's increased offer. STAAR shares rose over 4%, while Alcon shares fell 1%.

STAAR Surgical Says No 'Credible Buyer' During Go-Shop Process in Alcon Deal