Staar said that at least two market research firms have predicted that foldable lens materials will sharply change the intraocular lens market over the next five years.
Chiron Corp. gained 2 3/4 to 70 1/4 after it agreed to acquire Intraoptics Inc., a closely held Boca Raton, Fla., maker of intraocular lenses.
Foldable lenses are an advance over conventional intraocular lenses because they are made of a softer material and can be inserted into the eye with a smaller incision, said Steven Ziemba, vice president of regulatory affairs.