TearCare Becomes the First and Only MGD Treatment Indicated to Improve Meibomian Gland Function in Patients with Evaporative Dry Eye Disease
Rhea-AI Summary
Sight Sciences (Nasdaq: SGHT) announced that, effective August 18, 2026, the U.S. FDA updated the TearCare System Indications for Use to specify that it is a thermal-activated gland expression therapy that improves meibomian gland function in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), when used with manual gland expression.
With this expanded indication, TearCare becomes the first and only MGD treatment indicated to improve meibomian gland function in patients with evaporative dry eye disease. The updated clearance also incorporates optional debridement as part of the system and emphasizes a clinically meaningful endpoint focused on restoring gland function.
Positive
- FDA indication expanded to include improvement of meibomian gland function effective August 18, 2026
- First and only MGD treatment indicated to improve meibomian gland function in evaporative dry eye disease
- Updated clearance incorporates optional debridement into the TearCare System treatment approach
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 05 | Q2 earnings report | Positive | +27.8% | Revenue growth, narrowed loss, and raised full-year guidance accompanied the release. |
| Aug 05 | Payer coverage update | Positive | +27.8% | Aetna recognized OMNI and SION procedures as medically necessary under specified criteria. |
| Aug 04 | FDA clearance | Positive | -1.6% | FDA cleared OMNI Ultra while the subsequent 24-hour price reaction was negative. |
| Jul 22 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | -6.6% | The company scheduled its second-quarter results announcement for August 5, 2026. |
| May 06 | Q1 earnings report | Positive | +23.0% | Revenue growth and raised full-year guidance accompanied first-quarter financial results. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive earnings and coverage announcements generally aligned with gains, while the OMNI Ultra clearance and earnings-date notice diverged.
Key Terms
meibomian gland dysfunction medical
evaporative dry eye disease medical
debridement medical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sight Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGHT), an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative interventional technologies intended to transform care and improve patients' lives, today announced that, effective August 18, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the TearCare® System (TearCare) Indications for Use to state:
"The Sight Sciences TearCare System is a thermal-activated gland expression therapy that improves meibomian gland function in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), when used in conjunction with manual expression of the meibomian glands."
As a result of this expanded indication, TearCare is now the first and only treatment for MGD indicated to improve meibomian gland function in patients suffering from dry eye disease.
Meibomian gland dysfunction is a leading cause of evaporative dry eye disease, affecting millions of patients and significantly impacting visual quality, ocular comfort, and daily vision-related activities. The updated FDA indication reinforces the importance of addressing meibomian gland dysfunction as an underlying cause of dry eye disease while providing eye care providers with a clinically meaningful endpoint focused on gland function.
"This label expansion represents a landmark moment for both the dry eye category and Sight Sciences," said Paul Badawi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sight Sciences. "For the first time, eye care providers and patients have a treatment indicated to improve meibomian gland function for evaporative dry eye disease due to MGD. This important milestone reflects our commitment to advancing the science of interventional dry eye disease and providing eye care providers and patients with technologies that address the underlying cause, not just symptoms."
“For chronic, progressive diseases like dry eye disease and glaucoma, meaningful treatment should ultimately be measured by what we can do to preserve or improve physiological function—not simply manage the consequences of disease,” said Neel R. Desai, M.D., Director of Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery at The Eye Institute of West Florida. “The recognition that TearCare improves meibomian gland function represents an important evolution in dry eye care. It validates the shift toward interventions designed to improve the function disrupted by MGD and raises the bar for what we should expect from treatment.”
Advancing Interventional Dry Eye Care
The TearCare® System is designed to address meibomian gland dysfunction through precisely controlled, targeted thermal energy delivered directly to the eyelids while preserving natural blinking. Its proprietary SmartLids® technology maintains therapeutic heat across the meibomian glands, helping soften obstructive meibum and, when combined with clinician-directed manual expression, effectively clear gland obstructions and improve meibomian gland function.
The updated clearance not only expands TearCare's indication to include improvement of meibomian gland function, but also incorporates optional debridement as part of the TearCare System, further enhancing its comprehensive approach to treating evaporative dry eye disease due to MGD.
For complete indications for use, warnings, precautions, and adverse event information, visit www.sightsciences.com.
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 thermal-activated gland expression therapy that improves meibomian gland function in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), when used in conjunction with manual expression of the meibomian glands, 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, TearCare, and SmartLids are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States. OMNI, SION, and the Sight Sciences logo are trademarks of Sight Sciences registered in the United States, European Union and other territories. TruSync is a trademark of Sight Sciences.
© 2026 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 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Any statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the potential benefits and impact of the expanded indication, TearCare's potential role in treatment of MGD/dry eye disease, commercial opportunities, market adoption, and Sight's plans or objectives for TearCare. 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. We base these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, plans and assumptions we have made in light of our experience in the 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 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, including without limitation changes to reimbursement coverage or payment decisions or reimbursement rates for our products; pricing pressure or changes in market share resulting from the evolving competitive landscape; the impact of tariffs on our products and the medical device industry generally; and disruptions to or increased costs associated with our supply chain, including as a result of having a limited number of suppliers. Should our underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or results. These forward-looking statements are subject to and involve numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC, as may be updated from time to time in subsequent filings, and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. These cautionary statements 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.
Investor contact:
Philip Taylor
Gilmartin Group
415.937.5406
Investor.Relations@Sightsciences.com
Media contact:
pr@SightSciences.com
