Ondine Biomedical has announced its entry into the $50 billion global ICU anti-infectives market with its Steriwave nasal photodisinfection therapy, following promising study results from the Royal Columbian Hospital in Canada.
The ICU pilot study showed that Steriwave achieved an 80% relative risk reduction in pathogen colonisation — a fourfold reduction compared to controls. ICU-acquired infections, which affect 12–13% of critical care patients, significantly increase mortality risk and healthcare costs due to extended hospital stays.
Already used in Canada, the UK, and recommended in the USA, Steriwave’s nasal decolonisation therapy provides a rapid, resistance-free approach to reducing infection risks in high-dependency patients.
The study also reported high patient acceptance and no adverse events, reinforcing Steriwave’s potential as a safe and effective infection-prevention tool in critical care settings worldwide.
Intensive Care Unit-acquired infections impact 12 -13% of critical care patients and represent a major challenge for healthcare systems, significantly raising both patient mortality risk and the cost of care. ICU infections significantly increase a patient’s risk of death and typically add 7-14 expensive days to their stay, costing about £2000 per day in the UK and C$3500 per day in Canada.
Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine, said, “High dependency/ICU is a key market for us, similar in size to pre-surgical care. With higher infection rates and greater patient vulnerability in ICU, we anticipate strong demand for a rapid antimicrobial topical therapy that targets all pathogens without causing resistance.”
Steriwave technology, currently used to decolonise the patient’s nose before surgery in Canadian and UK hospitals, can be easily adapted for ICU use. The nose is a major source of hospital acquired infections. Ondine’s Steriwave technology is currently running a large Phase 3 trial in support of FDA approval. In Canada, Australia, UK, the EU and many other markets, Steriwave has regulatory approval.
