Cigna Expands Coverage of Glaucoma Surgical Procedures to Include Canaloplasty and Goniotomy (Trabeculotomy)
OMNI Device
Cigna has close to 15 million covered lives
Cigna’s Coverage Policy includes procedures enabled with OMNI® Surgical System technology as medically necessary and covered
MENLO PARK, Calif., June 21, 2023 (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, announced today that Cigna Healthcare (“Cigna”), has updated its Glaucoma Surgical Procedure policy to cover both ab interno canaloplasty and goniotomy (trabeculotomy) procedures for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma effective June 15, 2023.
Cigna is one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States with close to 15 million covered lives. The OMNI Surgical System (“OMNI”) technology is FDA-cleared and indicated for canaloplasty followed by trabeculotomy to reduce intraocular pressure (“IOP”) in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. OMNI technology enables the surgeon to perform an outflow restorative procedure to address the three known points of aqueous resistance associated with glaucoma (Schlemm’s canal, collector channels, and trabecular meshwork). The procedure can be performed before, in combination with, or after cataract surgery.
“We are pleased that Cigna’s clinical review resulted in expanded coverage of certain non-implant, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (“MIGS”) procedures including canaloplasty and goniotomy for its patients,” stated Paul Badawi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “As a result of this positive coverage policy, Cigna’s members will have access to the OMNI outflow restorative procedure that addresses all three points of resistance when deemed medically necessary by their ophthalmologist. We believe Cigna’s decision affirms the shift towards safer, less invasive, but more comprehensive surgical inventions, and cements the role that OMNI’s technology serves within the glaucoma treatment paradigm for surgeons and patients.”
Data evidencing the effectiveness and safety of OMNI have been published in 18 peer-reviewed publications, representing more than 630 patients to date, including two landmark multicenter studies, GEMINI and ROMEO. More recently real-world data leveraging the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS® Registry was presented at the 2023 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the American Glaucoma Society Annual Meetings, where a 12-month sub-analysis of patients treated with OMNI Surgical System technology reported the greatest average reduction in IOP-lowering medication usage compared to implant-based MIGS procedures or cataract surgery alone.
“We are pleased that Cigna has expanded coverage and increased patient access to more minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries,” stated Elena Sturman, President and CEO of The Glaucoma Foundation, one of the nation’s leading foundations dedicated to improving the lives of patients with glaucoma through innovation, research and collaboration. She continued, “Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. Improving access to less invasive outflow restorative procedures (associated with OMNI technology) is an important addition for glaucoma patients.”
Cigna Healthcare’s updated Glaucoma Surgical Procedures policy can be found here:
https://static.cigna.com/assets/chcp/pdf/coveragePolicies/medical/mm_0035_coveragepositioncriteria_viscocanolostomy.pdf
About Sight Sciences
Sight Sciences is an eyecare technology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative 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 is an implant-free glaucoma surgery technology indicated to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. The Company’s TearCare® System technology is 510(k) cleared for the application of localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), enabling clearance of gland obstructions by physicians to address the leading cause of dry eye disease. The Company’s SION™ Surgical Instrument is a manually operated device used in ophthalmic surgical procedures to excise trabecular meshwork.
For more information, visit http://www.sightsciences.com.
OMNI and TearCare are registered trademarks of Sight Sciences. SION is a trademark of Sight Sciences.
© 2023 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 or during the earnings call 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 statements regarding increased access to the OMNI outflow restorative procedure, and other perceived benefits of Cigna’s coverage determination. 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 that 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 that 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 and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 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.
Media contact – Glaucoma:
Carmen Caricchio
C2M Group
pr@SightSciences.com
Investor contact:
Philip Taylor
Gilmartin Group
415.937.5406
Investor.Relations@Sightsciences.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/857d6e32-e989-40d0-b5b4-4e1b43406bb4
