Precision medicine is becoming a reality in Asia Pacific as more targeted therapies are being developed that are tailored to individual patients, offering a potential cure for disease. But is Asia Pacific ready to harness this transformation, and if not, what are the hurdles that need to be cleared? A new report by LEK Consulting examines Asia Pacific’s readiness for what it calls the “Precision Era,” and examines four key biopharma markets in Australia, China, Japan and South Korea.

Alcon AG agreed to acquire Staar Surgical Co. in a $1.5 billion cash transaction that would add Staar’s Evo implantable Collamer lenses (ICL) to treat myopia to the vision giant’s portfolio. Alcon will pay $28 per share, a 59% premium on Staar’s 90-day volume-weighted average price and a 51% premium on the Aug. 4 closing price of its shares (Nasdaq: STAA).

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopted several significant policy changes in the Medicare inpatient final rule for fiscal 2026, which includes a larger rate bump for hospitals than seen in the draft.

Olympus Corp.’s “active investment” in endoluminal robotics has materialized in a new joint venture med-tech called Swan Endosurgical Inc., with Revival Healthcare Capital LLC.

The U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidance for the use of single-procedure insertion of scaffolds for knee cartilage repairs, specifying that only qualified surgeons should perform the procedure.