Vancouver Coastal Health Team Honoured with North American Spine Association Award for Pre-Surgical Photodisinfection Protocol

VANCOUVER, BC, Canada – Sept. 25, 2019

Ondine Biomedical Inc. congratulates the Vancouver Coastal Health spine group, Vancouver Coastal Health Infection Control and Vancouver Spine Institute, for being recognized with the Resident and Fellow Research Award at the 34th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Association being held in Chicago September 25 – 28. This award will be presented to Dr. Banaszek on behalf of the group of researchers following presentation of the abstract on Friday, September 27, 2019.

Abstract #283, titled “Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy in Prevention of Surgical Site Infections,” reports on findings of a 78% reduction in annual surgical site infections resulting in significant cost savings. The study team led by Drs. Daniel Banaszek, Tom Inglis and John Street and Vancouver Spine Institute program surgeons, analyzed data from an 8-year evaluation of Ondine’s nasal Photodisinfection in complex and high-risk spine surgery patients and reported on their results.

Deployment of a universal pre-surgical bundle including nasal decolonization resulted in reduction of spine surgical site infection rates from 7.2% to 1.6% (78% reduction, p<0.01, NNT=18). Study authors estimated 53 infections were avoided per year, at an annual cost savings of $4.24 million. Use of nasal Photodisinfection was not associated with any adverse events.

About Photodisinfection Protocol at Vancouver Coastal Health

Photodisinfection-based nasal decolonization therapy was introduced at Vancouver Coastal Health for universal pre-surgical decolonization to reduce surgical site infections. Having demonstrated significant patient safety outcomes and cost savings with this first ever deployment of universal nasal Photodisinfection, the Vancouver Coastal Health team received the 2013 Innovation Award of Excellence from the International Conference for Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC), which is endorsed by the World Health Organization.
Ondine’s Photodisinfection is a powerful new alternative in the fight against drug-resistant infections. This patented, light-activated antimicrobial kills drug-resistant bacteria, viruses, and fungi, including those in biofilms, in minutes. Because Photodisinfection is effective against such a broad spectrum of pathogens, expensive and time-consuming pathogen identification is not required. Photodisinfection kills microbes through oxidative disruption of the microbial cell membrane with no known adverse effects to human epithelial tissue or mucosa. Microbes are unable to resist or adapt to this treatment.

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is dedicated to the development of treatment and prevention therapies for a broad-spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacterial, viral and fungal infections. In addition to Ondine’s nasal photodisinfection therapy, other applications of the photodisinfection platform are under development, including treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, treatment of burns and wounds, and disinfection of endotracheal tubes to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Contacts:
Ondine Biomedical Inc.
www.ondine-staging-202003-v3.mystagingwebsite.com
Angelika Vance, Director – Corporate Development
avance@ondine-staging-202003-v3.mystagingwebsite.com
T. 1.604.838.2702