Sight Sciences, Inc. announced 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.