Matt Gibson, Product Director, Dry Eye, Sight Sciences
Sight Sciences developed a category-changing product in TearCare, but it faced more well-funded competitors and a pandemic that would disrupt most launches. But Matt Gibson proved to be more than capable and nimble to overcome any challenge.
Evaporative dry eye starts with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), which decreases the amount of oil that coats the surface of the eye and keeps tears from drying out. TearCare was designed as a tool that applies targeted heat to the eyelid to remove blockage associated with MGD. Existing dry-eye devices on the market can be cumbersome to administer to patients and require a heavier up-front practice investment to adopt. But Matt developed critical initiatives to increase awareness and adoption.
For example, TearCare Education and Mentorship (TEaM) is a user support program designed to share education, training, and experiences of the TearCare technology. While this originated as an in-person peer-to-peer exchange, Matt and his team quickly pivoted following the arrival of COVID-19 to provide a virtual version. In this same vein, Matt also launched a virtual learning program featuring the company’s KOL network in a matter of days after COVID shut things down. And he developed a Zoom virtual webinar series, which attracted over 1,000 registrants with the majority noting they would be willing to purchase the technology within 30 to 60 days.
Driven by many of the resources Matt developed, TearCare set the bar for installed units in the first year of sales. Starting from a position of zero brand awareness, TearCare is blazing a new trail in MGD.
