Sight Science's TearCare System earns spot in TFOS DEWS III dry eye report

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/tadamichi)

Sight Sciences announced that its TearCare System has been included in the new Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) III report from the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.^1,2

This marks the first time that the TearCare System has been included in the TFOS DEWS III Management and Therapy Report.

Sam Garg, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, commented on the inclusion, saying, “The recognition of the TearCare System as an interventional procedure within this publication is yet another strong validation of its clinical efficacy and integral role in patient care. The report itself is highly influential for clinicians refining treatment algorithms for dry eye.”

The TFOS DEWS III report has identified key research findings published since the 2017 TFOS DEWS II Workshop reports regarding sex, gender, and hormones; epidemiology; pathophysiology; tear film; pain and sensation; iatrogenic; and clinical trial design. The report was compiled to support evidence cited in the TFOS DEWS III Diagnostic Methodology and Management and Therapy reports and included input from 80 experts in 18 countries, according to TFOS

For the TearCare System, the DEWS III report highlighted multiple published studies of the system that demonstrate its clinical efficacy, such as the 6-month SAHARA randomized controlled trial (RCT), the OLYMPIA RCT results, and an OLYMPIA sub-analysis. In the 6-month SAHARA results, it was demonstrated that 2 TearCare system treatments were clinically superior in improving Tear Breakup Time (TBUT) and multiple measures of gland function and non-inferior in Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) compared to twice-daily Restasis® for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED).

The OLYMPIA RCT results showed a single TearCare treatment significantly alleviated the signs and symptoms in individuals with DED, while the sub-analysis showed patients with more severe disease showed significantly greater improvements in multiple symptoms of DED compared to LipiFlow.

TearCare works by applying localized heat therapy through a “flexible, gentle design” that allows patients to blink naturally. It features Thermal-Activated Restorative Gland Expression Therapy technology that treats the root cause of dry eye by restoring the natural function of the meibomian glands.

Recently, Sight Sciences released the results from a cost-utility analysis (CUA) assessing the cost-effectiveness of the TearCare System compared with cyclosporine 0.05% (CsA) for the treatment of moderate to severe meibomian gland disease (MGD)–associated dry eye disease. According to the analysis results, TearCare is associated with greater health utility over time and resulted in significant cost savings compared with CsA. The analysis was conducted from a US health care payer perspective using a 1-year time horizon.³

References:

1. Sight Sciences Announces Recognition of the TearCare® System in TFOS DEWS III Global Dry Eye Guidelines Published in AJO. Published September 2, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/02/3143129/0/en/Sight-Sciences-Announces-Recognition-of-the-TearCare-System-in-TFOS-DEWS-III-Global-Dry-Eye-Guidelines-Published-in-AJO.html

2. Joy J. New TFOS DEWS III Digest report highlights relevant research on management, treatment of DED. Published June 22, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/new-tfos-dews-iii-digest-report-highlights-relevant-research-on-management-treatment-of-ded

3. Harp MD. Sight Sciences releases cost-utility analysis comparing TearCare and cyclosporine 0.05% in dry eye. Published August 4, 2025. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/view/sight-sciences-releases-cost-utility-analysis-comparing-tearcare-and-cyclosporine-0-05-in-dry-eye