Ondine receives regulatory approval for Steriwave light-activated antimicrobial technology in the United Arab Emirates

Ondine Biomedical Inc. (LON: OBI), a Canadian life sciences company pioneering light-activated antimicrobial treatments, announces that it has received regulatory approval to market Steriwave^® nasal decolonization to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in patients undergoing surgery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The UAE, with its population of 9.4 million, represents an important and growing market in the Middle East. It is becoming a center of medical excellence, drawing medical tourists from across the Middle East and Asia. Wellness tourists spend an estimated $5.4 billion, up from $2.1 billion in 2020.[i]

Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine Biomedical, commented:

“We are looking forward to bringing the infection-reducing benefits of Steriwave nasal decolonization to the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern Markets. We believe that adding Steriwave to current presurgical and ICU protocols can help these countries to address the growing threat from antimicrobial resistant infections in hospitals.”

HAIs remain a critical challenge across the world, resulting in significant costs, avoidable deaths, and human suffering. HAIs rank as the fifth most frequent cause of mortality in acute-care hospitals in the United States.^[ii] Post-surgical infections, in particular, extend recovery times and often require prolonged antibiotic treatment, which governments, such as in the UK, are actively seeking to reduce.^[iii] In the U.S., the average hospital cost per surgical site infection (SSI) is approximately $20,000.^[iv]

Nasal decolonization is recommended in the 2016 WHO Global guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections,^[v] and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) guidelines, published in May 2023, recommend nasal decolonization for major surgical procedures.^[vi]

Steriwave uses a patented light-activated agent to rapidly eliminate infection-causing pathogens in a single, 5-minute treatment. The process works so rapidly that pathogens do not have the opportunity to develop resistance, making it an effective alternative to antibiotics. Hospitals using Steriwave have reported high levels of staff and patient compliance. Steriwave has also been proven to be highly effective against drug-resistant pathogens. A 2023 study showed that Steriwave is highly effective (>99.99% kills in 20 seconds) against both moderately drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens.

Nasal decolonization is recommended in the 2016 WHO Global guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections, and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) guidelines, published in May 2023, recommend nasal decolonization for major surgical procedures.

Steriwave uses a patented light-activated agent to rapidly eliminate infection-causing pathogens in a single, 5-minute treatment. The process works so rapidly that pathogens do not have the opportunity to develop resistance, making it an effective alternative to antibiotics. Hospitals using Steriwave have reported high levels of staff and patient compliance. Steriwave has also been proven to be highly effective against drug-resistant pathogens. A 2023 study showed that Steriwave is highly effective (>99.99% kills in 20 seconds) against both moderately drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens.

[i] According to the Global Wellness Economy Monitor – https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/04/08/how-the-uae-has-become-one-of-the-worlds-fastest-growing-medical-tourism-destinations/

[ii] Klevens RM, Edwards JR, Richards CL Jr, Horan TC, Gaynes RP, Pollock DA, et al. Estimating health care-associated infections and deaths in U.S. hospitals, 2002. Public Health Rep 2007;122(2):160-166. doi:10.1177/003335490712200205.

[iii] See the UK’s  5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance, published in May 2024.

[iv] Ban et al. American College of Surgeons and Surgical Infection Society: Surgical Site Infection Guidelines, 2016 Update. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2017; 224 (1): 59.

[v] Surgical Site Infection Prevention: Key facts on decolonization of nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. World Health Organization. (link)

[vi] Calderwood MS, Anderson DJ, Bratzler DW, et al. Strategies to prevent surgical site infections in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023;44(5):695-720. (link)