MENLO PARK, Calif., Aug. 19, 2026
Sight Sciences, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the Indications for Use for its TearCare System, expanding its role in the treatment of evaporative dry eye disease associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Effective August 18, 2026, the updated indication states that TearCare is a thermal-activated gland expression therapy designed to improve meibomian gland function in adults with evaporative dry eye disease due to MGD when used with manual expression of the meibomian glands. The regulatory update represents an important development for interventional dry eye care, as the company states that TearCare is now the first and only MGD treatment indicated specifically to improve meibomian gland function in this patient population. The expanded indication places greater emphasis on addressing gland dysfunction as an underlying driver of evaporative dry eye disease, rather than focusing only on management of symptoms.
FDA Update Strengthens TearCare’s Position in Dry Eye Care
The updated FDA indication gives eye care providers a treatment option with a specific focus on meibomian gland function, an important component of tear-film stability and ocular surface health. MGD is a leading cause of evaporative dry eye disease and can affect visual quality, ocular comfort and everyday activities. Sight Sciences said the revised indication reflects the growing focus on treatments that address the underlying physiological dysfunction associated with dry eye disease. For the company, the regulatory milestone also strengthens the positioning of TearCare within the interventional dry eye market, where clinicians are increasingly evaluating technologies designed to target the source of gland obstruction and dysfunction. Sight Sciences Co-Founder and CEO Paul Badawi described the label expansion as a significant milestone for both the company and the broader dry eye category, emphasizing the importance of treatments focused on improving physiological function rather than simply managing the consequences of disease.
TearCare Uses Targeted Thermal Therapy for MGD
The TearCare System is designed to address MGD using controlled thermal energy delivered directly to the eyelids while allowing patients to maintain natural blinking. Its proprietary SmartLids technology is designed to maintain therapeutic heat across the meibomian glands, helping soften obstructive meibum. The system is used together with clinician-directed manual gland expression, which is intended to clear gland obstructions and support improvement in gland function. Under the updated clearance, optional debridement has also been incorporated into the TearCare System, expanding the treatment approach available to clinicians managing evaporative dry eye disease associated with MGD. This combination of targeted thermal treatment and gland expression is central to Sight Sciences’ strategy of developing minimally invasive or non-invasive technologies that focus on underlying disease mechanisms.
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Sight Sciences Advances Interventional Eye Care Portfolio
The TearCare update adds to Sight Sciences’ broader portfolio of interventional ophthalmic technologies targeting major eye diseases. The company develops and commercializes technologies intended to change treatment approaches through minimally invasive or non-invasive procedures. Its portfolio also includes the OMNI Surgical System and OMNI Edge Surgical System, which are indicated in the United States to reduce intraocular pressure in adults with primary open-angle glaucoma, as well as the SION Surgical System for ophthalmic surgical procedures. With the expanded TearCare indication, Sight Sciences is strengthening its focus on MGD and evaporative dry eye disease while continuing to build a broader technology platform around underlying causes of prevalent eye conditions. The company’s latest FDA update provides TearCare with a more specific functional treatment claim and further establishes meibomian gland function improvement as a key focus of its dry eye technology strategy
Source:Sight Sciences press relese
