Following its successful fundraising of C$4.91 million (US$3.62), Canadian life sciences company Ondine Biomedical will continue accelerating commercialisation of its nasal photodisinfection technology. The solution aims to replace topical antibiotics for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and kills all types of pathogens – bacteria, viruses and fungi – without causing antimicrobial resistance.
The company has confirmed that it has more than doubled the number of Steriwave deployments in 2023 and is in discussions with more than 75 hospitals in the UK, Mexico, Spain, and Canada. The growing global focus on preventing HCAIs post-surgery, coupled with the escalating challenge of antimicrobial resistance, has spurred heightened interest in Ondine’s photodisinfection technology.
The deployments are in areas of major surgery, including spinal, orthopedic, and cardiovascular. The antibiotic mupirocin has been used for nasal decolonisation for the prevention of HCAIs since the 1980s. However, mupirocin has resistance rates of up to 81%, and very poor compliance.
Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine, commented, "We have put great efforts into improving our commercial activity sales process, which has increased the speed of the average sales cycle from contact to deployment by 50%. We have appointed distributors in the UK, Spain, and Mexico and are gaining real momentum. What is particularly encouraging is that many hospitals are recommending Steriwave to other hospitals. We believe this momentum will continue to increase, and commercial sales will become more significant in 2024.”
The five-minute Steriwave nasal decolonisation procedure is easy to incorporate into the pre surgery procedures. It is painless and very well received by patients who are often intrigued by the process. There have been no reports of serious side effects as a result of Steriwave usage. Steriwave has been used by more than 150,000 patients, including at Vancouver General Hospital where its use has been associated with a significant reduction in HCAIs across major surgeries.
As well as growing its commercial activities, the company continues to work closely with HCA – the largest hospital group in the United States – to prepare for the Phase 3 trial in circa 14 HCA hospitals as part of its Ondine’s submission to the FDA for approval. The company already has approval for Steriwave in Canada, the UK, the EU, and Mexico.
