Sight Sciences Announces the Results of a Cost-Utility Analysis Demonstrating Cost Savings and Greater Health Utility with the TearCare® System Compared to Cyclosporine 0.05% for Treating Meibomian Gland Disease-Associated Dry Eye Disease

Rhea-AI Summary

Sight Sciences (NASDAQ: SGHT) has announced positive results from a cost-utility analysis comparing its TearCare® System to cyclosporine 0.05% (CsA) for treating meibomian gland disease-associated dry eye disease. The study, published in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, demonstrated significant advantages for TearCare.

The analysis revealed that TearCare delivered annual cost savings of $903 per patient ($4,916 vs. $5,819 for CsA) and achieved higher quality-adjusted life years (0.76 QALYs vs. 0.74 QALYs). The study, conducted over a one-year horizon from a US healthcare payer perspective, showed TearCare's superior cost-effectiveness even when adjusting various assumptions in scenario analyses.

Dr. Nathan Lighthizer, lead investigator and Professor at NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry, emphasized these findings align with clinical observations, highlighting TearCare as an economically sustainable treatment option.

Insights

Healthcare Economist

TearCare system shows both cost savings ($903/patient) and better health outcomes versus cyclosporine for dry eye treatment.

The cost-utility analysis published in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research delivers compelling economic validation for Sight Sciences' TearCare System. The data shows $4,916 in annual per-patient costs for TearCare versus $5,819 for cyclosporine 0.05% (CsA), representing $903 in annual savings per patient. Beyond cost reduction, TearCare demonstrated superior quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at 0.76 compared to 0.74 for CsA—an incremental benefit of 0.014 QALYs.

This study represents a significant milestone for Sight Sciences as it provides the health economic evidence often required by payers to justify coverage decisions. The analysis assumes two TearCare procedures over a one-year period, suggesting a durable treatment effect that reduces the ongoing costs associated with daily medication regimens like CsA. The robustness of findings across multiple scenarios strengthens the economic case for TearCare adoption.

For Sight Sciences, this health economics research strategically positions TearCare for broader insurance coverage and reimbursement, which could accelerate market penetration in the substantial dry eye disease market. The company appears to be building a comprehensive value proposition combining clinical efficacy with economic advantages—a crucial approach in today's value-based healthcare environment where both outcomes and cost-effectiveness drive adoption decisions.

Cost-Utility Analysis published in the Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research

MENLO PARK, Calif., July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sight Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGHT) (Sight Sciences or the Company), an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative technology intended to transform care and improve patients’ lives, today announced the results of a cost-utility analysis (CUA) assessing the cost-effectiveness of the TearCare^® System compared to cyclosporine 0.05% (CsA) for the treatment of moderate to severe meibomian gland disease (MGD) associated dry eye disease (DED). The analysis, published ahead of print in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, demonstrated that TearCare is not only associated with greater health utility over time but also resulted in significant cost savings compared to CsA, offering a more efficient and patient-centric approach to treating this common ocular disease.

The analysis, conducted from a US healthcare payer perspective using a 1-year time horizon, revealed that TearCare resulted in lower per-patient annual costs ($4,916) and higher quality-adjusted life years (QALYs; 0.76) compared to CsA ($5,819 and 0.74 QALYs, respectively). This translated to per-patient annual cost savings of $903 and an incremental benefit of 0.014 QALYs.

“This cost-utility analysis confirms what many of us in clinical practice have observed,” said Nathan Lighthizer, OD, FAAO, lead investigator of the study and Professor and Dean for the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry. “TearCare not only improves patient outcomes but also represents a more economically sustainable approach to managing MGD-associated dry eye disease. The demonstrated cost savings of over $900 per patient per year are significant in our current healthcare environment."

Key Findings:

• Assuming two procedures over a 1-year time horizon, TearCare demonstrated a cost-saving advantage over CsA, reducing per-patient costs by $903 annually.
• Patients receiving TearCare experienced an incremental QALY gain of 0.014, compared to those on CsA.
• Scenario analyses confirmed the robustness of the results, showing that even when adjusting assumptions—such as the proportion of patients improving to a milder disease state—TearCare consistently delivered cost savings and greater QALY gains over CsA.
  

Paul Badawi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sight Sciences added, “We are excited to see such compelling evidence that highlights both the clinical and cost benefits of TearCare. Our body of clinical data and health economic support for TearCare continues to grow, and this latest analysis builds upon the foundation we have already established. As we work to drive reimbursed patient access to interventional dry eye therapies like TearCare on behalf of patients and the eyecare providers who care for them, robust clinical and health economic support is a core component of our strategy, and milestones such as these represent progress towards delivering this innovative technology to patients in need.”

Authors and affiliations:
Lighthizer N¹, Schwertz BK², Chester T³, Longo R⁴, Riley P⁴, Mody L⁴, Patel C^4 
1NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry, Tahlequah, OK, USA
²Dry Eye Center of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA
³Cleveland Eye Clinic, Brecksville, OH, USA
⁴AESARA, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Paper Reference:
Lighthizer, N., Schwertz, B. K., Chester, T., Longo, R., Riley, P., Mody, L., & Patel, C. (2025). TearCare system versus cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion for the treatment of moderate-to-severe meibomian gland disease associated dry eye disease in the United States: a cost-utility analysis. Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/14737167.2025.2537850

About Sight Sciences
Sight Sciences is an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative and interventional 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 and OMNI^® Edge Surgical System are implant-free, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery technologies indicated in the United States to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. The OMNI Surgical System is CE Marked for the catheterization and transluminal viscodilation of Schlemm’s canal and cutting of the trabecular meshwork to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with open-angle glaucoma. Glaucoma is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. The SION^® Surgical System is a bladeless, manually operated device used in ophthalmic surgical procedures to excise trabecular meshwork. The Company’s TearCare^® System is 510(k) cleared in the United States for the application of localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland disease (MGD), enabling clearance of gland obstructions by physicians to address the leading cause of dry eye disease. Visit www.sightsciences.com for more information.

Sight Sciences, the Sight Sciences logo, TearCare, SmartHub and SmartLids are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States. OMNI and SION are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States, European Union and other territories.

© 2025 Sight Sciences. All rights reserved.

Media contact:
pr@SightSciences.com

Investor contact:
Philip Taylor
Gilmartin Group
415.937.5406
Investor.Relations@Sightsciences.com

FAQ

What are the cost savings of Sight Sciences' TearCare System compared to cyclosporine?

The TearCare System demonstrates $903 in annual cost savings per patient ($4,916 vs. $5,819 for cyclosporine) over a one-year period.

How does TearCare's effectiveness compare to cyclosporine for dry eye disease treatment?

TearCare showed higher effectiveness with 0.76 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) compared to 0.74 QALYs for cyclosporine, representing an incremental benefit of 0.014 QALYs.

What clinical evidence supports SGHT's TearCare System?

A cost-utility analysis published in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research demonstrates both cost savings and greater health utility compared to cyclosporine, with results remaining robust across multiple scenario analyses.

Who conducted the TearCare cost-utility analysis study?

The study was led by Dr. Nathan Lighthizer, Professor and Dean at NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry, along with researchers from multiple institutions including Dry Eye Center of Alabama and Cleveland Eye Clinic.

What is the target condition for Sight Sciences' TearCare treatment?

TearCare targets moderate to severe meibomian gland disease (MGD) associated dry eye disease (DED), offering a more efficient and patient-centric treatment approach.