Ondine announces expanded Canadian availability of Steriwave

Life sciences company Ondine Biomedical announced the expansion of the availability of its Steriwave nasal photo disinfection technology on Friday across various hospitals in Canada.

The AIM-traded firm said the technology aimed to curb the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and tackle the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

It said the latest establishment to take up the solution was the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax - Nova Scotia’s largest hospital and a facility affiliated with Dalhousie University.

The board said the situation with HAIs in Canada was alarmingly significant, with one in nine patients in Canadian hospitals acquiring an HAI, annually leading to around 12,000 deaths.

At the same time, the problem of HAIs was being exacerbated by increasing instances of AMR, rendering some widely used antibiotics futile.

As a result, one in every 19 deaths in Canada could be attributed to antibiotic-resistant infections.

In economic terms, the financial burden of AMR on the Canadian healthcare sector was projected to swell substantially, from $1.4bn to an estimated $7.6bn per annum by 2050.

“It is hugely satisfying that Steriwave is now available in hospitals from coast to coast across Canada, giving patients enhanced protection against post-surgical infections,” said chief executive officer Carolyn Cross.

“This new hospital deployment demonstrates Steriwave’s growing status as an effective alternative to topical antibiotics for infection prevention that easily fits into existing hospital workflows.

“In the US we are continuing to move forward with our phase three trial in partnership with HCA Healthcare who are providing invaluable input and support.”

At 1116 BST, shares in Ondine Biomedical were up 10.21% at 7.99p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.