Ondine Biomedical upbeat on new Steriwave test data

(Sharecast News) - Ondine Biomedical announced new data from University College London on Monday, showing that its Steriwave photodisinfection technology is effective against Mucor, a highly lethal fungal pathogen that poses significant risks to immunocompromised patients. The AIM-traded firm said the findings, presented at the 19th World Congress of the International Photodynamic Association in Shanghai, demonstrated that Steriwave completely inhibited Mucor growth in vitro with short treatment times.

It said the technology also enhanced the efficacy of existing antifungals such as azoles, supporting a potential combined approach for treating mucormycosis.

Mucor infections are often fatal and notoriously difficult to treat, the company said, with current therapies limited by toxicity, frequent failure, and the need for invasive surgery.

Ondine said the results pointed to a promising new method for nasal decolonisation, particularly in hospital settings where nasal pathogens are a leading cause of surgical site and healthcare-associated infections.

Steriwave, which uses photodisinfection to eliminate pathogens, is already in use in hospitals in the UK and Canada.

The firm said the UCL findings further validated its broad-spectrum efficacy and highlighted its potential in combating antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections.

"Fungal infections, especially mucormycosis, are a serious threat in hospitals, with alarmingly high mortality rates and very few effective treatment options," said Dr Colin Hopper and Dr Aashvi Joshi of University College London's Eastman Dental Institute in a joint statement.

"The ability of Steriwave to rapidly and safely decolonize the nose of fungal pathogens represents a major advance in infection prevention, helping to protect patients from these life-threatening infections with affordable therapy."

At 0902 BST, shares in Ondine Biomedical were up 4.58% at 9.41p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.