Ondine Biomedical's Steriwave added to NHS Supply Chain

The AIM-traded firm said the development would simplify the procurement process for NHS hospitals in England and Wales, marking the first inclusion of a light-activated antimicrobial in the supply chain.

It described Steriwave as an antimicrobial treatment that quickly eliminates infection-causing pathogens without contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The company said it was a superior alternative to the antibiotic mupirocin, which was traditionally used for nasal decolonisation to prevent healthcare-associated infections, but was associated with high rates of AMR and low patient compliance.

In March, the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust became the first in the UK to adopt Steriwave as the standard of care for hip and knee surgery patients to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs).

The adoption at Pontefract and Pinderfields NHS Hospitals followed a successful initial deployment at Pontefract Hospital.

Ondine Biomedical said it was also collaborating with the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber to sponsor a health economic analysis conducted by the York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC).

The study, expected to be completed later in the year, aimed to support the wider adoption of Steriwave across the NHS and explore additional surgical applications.

“SSIs, among the most common healthcare-associated infections, affect one in 20 NHS surgical patients and cost NHS England over £2bn annually, with costs expected to rise due to increasing AMR,” Ondine said in its statement.

“WHO and NICE recommend eliminating harmful pathogens from the nasal cavities before surgery as a key approach to preventing SSIs.

“Steriwave uses a proprietary photosensitive microbial stain and activating red light to destroy nasal pathogens in a single, five-minute treatment without triggering AMR.”

At 1124 BST, shares in Ondine Biomedical were up 11.84% at 8.39p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.