Over 1,000 Professional Eye Care Practices Have integrated the
TearCare® System to Treat Root Cause of Dry Eye Disease due to Meibomian Gland
Dysfunction (MGD)
MENLO PARK, Calif., Jan. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sight Sciences,
Inc. (Nasdaq: SGHT) (“Sight Sciences” or the “Company”) an eyecare technology company
focused on creating innovative solutions intended to transform care and improve
patients’ lives, announced today the 1,000th installation of its TearCare®
System. The TearCare® System is FDA cleared and indicated for the application of
localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to
meibomian gland dysfunction, when used in conjunction with manual expression of the
meibomian glands.
In 2019 Sight Sciences commercialized the TearCare® System with the
knowledge that doctors, and patients were seeking improvements beyond those provided by
current over the counter, prescription pharmaceutical, or in-office treatments for dry
eye. Desired improvements included faster action, enduring results and, in the case of
in-office treatment, a price point allowing more practices to equip their offices.
Immediately following launch, Sight Sciences took the first step required to obtain
access to coverage and payment for dry eye sufferers when the American Medical
Association (AMA) granted a temporary procedural code specifically describing the open
eye TearCare® procedure. In 2021, on the heels of publishing compelling signs and
symptoms clinical results from its first large randomized controlled clinical trial
(RCT), OLYMPIA, in the leading ocular surface journal Cornea, the company announced the
initiation of its second pivotal RCT, the SAHARA study, intended to assist payors in
providing fair patient access to the interventional TearCare dry eye procedure. Sahara
is a large randomized controlled clinical trial designed to provide a robust body of
evidence comparing the long-term efficacy of the TearCare® System to a traditional,
daily, prescription pharmaceutical treatment regimen for dry eye. The company expects to
begin readout and publishing of the data from SAHARA later this year and continuing into
2024. The company intends to use the data to support the case for appropriate coverage
and payment by third party payers to help drive patient access to care for dry eye
disease due to MGD.
Total Eye Care of Long Island, N.Y., was the 1000TH practice to install
the TearCare® System. Stephanie K. Becker, MD, CEO & noted dry eye specialist,
commented that “impressive clinical study results, device footprint with a reasonable
capital investment, along with Sight Sciences’ commitment to pursue appropriate
insurance coverage and fair payment all combined in the decision to add the TearCare®
System to our dry eye treatment armamentarium. We are pleased to offer TearCare® to
indicated dry eye patients.”
“We are thrilled that over 1,000 eye care practices have chosen the
TearCare® System to treat dry eye caused by MGD,” said Paul Badawi, co-founder, and
Chief Executive Officer of Sight Sciences. “We designed TearCare® to treat the
underlying cause of MGD and restore production of healthy tears. The over 1,000 votes of
confidence that we have received from eye doctors across the United States along with
our outstanding clinical and real-world outcomes, demonstrate the increasing importance
and acceptance of effective interventional dry eye treatment. We are particularly proud
to have an ophthalmologist of Dr. Becker’s clinical reputation and expertise represent
this milestone occasion.”
About Sight Sciences
Sight Sciences is an eyecare technology company focused on developing and
commercializing innovative solutions intended to transform care and improve patients’
lives. Using minimally invasive or non-invasive approaches to target the underlying
causes of the world’s most prevalent eye diseases, Sight Sciences seeks to create more
effective treatment paradigms that enhance patient care and supplant conventional
outdated approaches. The Company’s OMNI® Surgical System is a minimally invasive
glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device indicated to reduce intraocular pressure in adult
patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the world’s leading cause of
irreversible blindness. The Company’s TearCare® System is 510(k) cleared for the
application of localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease
due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), enabling office-based clearance of gland
obstructions by physicians to address the leading cause of dry eye disease. The
Company’s SION™ Surgical Instrument is a manually operated device used in ophthalmic
surgical procedures to excise trabecular meshwork.
About the TearCare® System
The TearCare® System is FDA cleared and indicated for the application of localized heat
therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland
dysfunction, when used in conjunction with manual expression of the meibomian glands.
The TearCare® System is the only device designed to evacuate obstructed meibomian glands
while harnessing a natural blink experience. The system is comprised of single-use,
universally fitting SmartLids™ which are placed on the eyelids to deliver “intelligent
therapeutic heat” safely and effectively. The portable SmartHub™ communicates directly
with the SmartLids to precisely control the amount of phase transition heating and the
duration of treatment. After 15 minutes of therapeutic heat, the Clearance Assistant
forceps allows the ECP to control expression of the stagnant, obstructed meibum expertly
and precisely by targeting individual meibomian glands while obtaining full visual
confirmation of the success of this personalized treatment.
For more information, visit www.sightsciences.com.
OMNI® and TearCare® are registered trademarks of Sight Sciences.
SION™ is a trademark of Sight Sciences.
© 2023 Sight Sciences. All rights reserved.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release, together with other statements and information publicly disseminated
by the Company, contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to
be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include
information concerning status of the Company’s SAHARA clinical trial and anticipated
timing and use of SAHARA clinical trial results. These statements often include words
such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “suggests,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimates,”
“targets,” “projects,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “forecast” and other
similar expressions. Management bases these forward-looking statements on its current
expectations, plans and assumptions affecting the Company’s business and industry, as
well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future
developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances at
such time. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on
reasonable assumptions at the time they are made, you should be aware that many factors
could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. The
forward-looking statements are subject to and involve risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
materially differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements
are discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, as may be updated from time to time in subsequent
filings. These cautionary statements should not be construed by you to be exhaustive and
are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Media contact
Hannah Jenkins
RHMM Inc.
pr@SightSciences.com
Investor contact:
Philip Taylor
Gilmartin Group
415.937.5406
Investor.Relations@Sightsciences.com
