Ondine presents ground-breaking findings in the fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens at 19th World Congress of the International Photodynamic Association

• Photodisinfection shown to enhance the potency of many antibiotics, including vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, as well as antiseptics such as benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine.
• Combination of traditional antibiotics and photodynamic therapy results in ultra-high lethality against completely drug-resistant pathogens.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. (AIM: OBI), a global leader in photodisinfection technology, is presenting major advancements in the fight against multidrug-resistant pathogens at the 19th World Congress of the International Photodynamic Association (IPA) being held this week in Shanghai. The Company has developed an intelligent robotic tool that leverages advanced AI-driven algorithms to identify the most effective combinations of antimicrobial therapies for eliminating a wide range of pathogens. This tool highlights the powerful synergy between Ondine’s light-activated photodisinfection technology and existing antibiotics and antiseptics—a market valued at $80-100 billion globally in 2024.[1-6]

The presentation, given by Ondine research scientist Micah Chavez, introduces a novel methodology that uses a high-throughput robotic assay to characterize interactions between legacy antimicrobials and potent photodisinfection. The assay, designed specifically by the Company for this purpose, utilizes a new optical checkerboard approach to conducting dozens of simultaneous microbiological experiments with lethal pathogens in a safe and reproducible manner, conforming to reporting requirements of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and American Society for Microbiology (ASM) guidelines.  AI-driven algorithms are used to select the most promising combination of agents to team with photodisinfection for combined topical and systemic attack against any given multi-drug-resistant pathogen.

Dr. Nicolas Loebel, President and Chief Technology Officer of Ondine, stated:

“Drug-resistant pathogens are a top priority for both the World Health Organisation and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, already contributing to millions of deaths and costing billions in healthcare and productivity losses each year.  With resistance now observed across all known antibiotic classes, new strategies are urgently needed. At IPA this year, we’re proud to be presenting compelling evidence that combining our photodisinfection technology with conventional antimicrobials can multiply the potency of both approaches, achieving ultra-high lethality, even against completely drug-resistant strains.

“Our research shows that photodisinfection significantly enhances the efficacy of antibiotics such as vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline, as well as antiseptics like benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine. These findings point to the intriguing possibility of dual-mode therapy for treatment of the sickest patients, providing potent topical treatment with our photodisinfection technology while at the same time boosting local efficacy of systemic oral and injectable antimicrobials. This could potentially reshape infection prevention strategies worldwide.”

Ondine’s photodisinfection platform technology underpins Steriwave®, the Company’s lead product, developed to prevent healthcare-associated infections by targeting pathogens in the nasal cavity. Steriwave is in use at leading healthcare institutions in Canada and the UK, including hospitals within the CanHealth Network and the NHS, and a pivotal clinical trial is currently underway to support FDA regulatory submission in the United States.