RCS - Ondine Biomedical - Quebec Hospital Cuts Spine SSIs by 78%

Ondine BiomedicalAnnouncement

17/03/2025 07:15

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RNS Number : 9001A  Ondine Biomedical Inc.  17 March 2025

ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC.

 

("Ondine Biomedical", "Ondine", or the "Company")

 

University of Sherbrooke Clinicians achieve Significant Reduction in Spine
Surgery Infections in Quebec's First Deployment of Steriwave Nasal
Photodisinfection

 

·    Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a serious complication of spine
surgery, leading to increased pain, greater mortality risk, longer recovery
times, and higher healthcare costs.

·    Results demonstrated that patients treated with Steriwave nasal
photodisinfection (aPDT) experienced >78% fewer SSIs than untreated
patients.

·    Hospital length of stay also decreased by 30% in the Steriwave
treated patients.

 

At the 25(th) Annual Scientific Conference of the Canadian Spine Society,
researchers from the University of Sherbrooke presented findings from a
year-long retrospective quality of care study confirming the safety and
efficacy of Steriwave(®) nasal photodisinfection therapy (aPDT) in spine
surgery patients. Data from the podium presentation demonstrated that patients
who received presurgical Steriwave nasal photodisinfection had 78.8% fewer
surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to the control group (p=0.021). This
study follows the first implementation of a presurgical nasal
photodisinfection protocol in Quebec.

 

Dr Bernard LaRue, MD, Orthopedical Spinal Surgeon and Director of Orthopedic
Surgery at Université de Sherbrooke stated:

"We are pleased to corroborate the previously published benefits of Steriwave
in reducing surgical site infections in spinal surgery. Success in infection
prevention is a team effort, and compliance is critical.  Given its positive
impact, we are keen to find ways to extend Steriwave's benefits to patients
undergoing urgent surgeries, where consistent application can be more
challenging. We will also be expanding its use to joint replacement surgery
patients as part of our ongoing commitment to improving infection rates and
patient outcomes."

 

The Université de Sherbrooke spinal surgery team including Drs Bernard LaRue,
Jocelyn Blanchard, Newton Pimenta, Julien Goulet, Charles Touchette and
Jérôme Couture is the first in Quebec to adopt nasal photodisinfection to
address the persistent challenge of SSIs in spine surgeries.  The research
team which also includes Drs Louis Carrier, Yan Gabriel Morais Silva, Ms
Ariane Paquette and Ms Sonia Bédard reported that spine SSIs, which occur in
1-12% of cases, 1  (#_edn1) can each cost about $50,000.

 

Highlights from Study Data and Additional Analysis:

·      Lower SSI Rates: Patients receiving aPDT nasal decolonization
exhibited a significantly lower SSI rate of 1.29% (2, N=155) compared to 6.09%
(14, N=230) in the non-aPDT group, a 78.8% difference in outcomes between the
two groups (p=0.021).

·      Decreased Hospital Stay: The aPDT group experienced a shorter
average hospital stay of 4.9 days versus 7 days in the non-aPDT group (30%
reduction, p=0.017), indicating enhanced patient recovery periods and
optimizing healthcare resources.

·      Pharmacoeconomics: Based on an estimated cost of $50,000 per SSI,
return on the Steriwave investment was greater than $17 per $1 dollar spent on
the technology deployment.

·      Differential benefit: the study demonstrated that the key driver
behind the reduction in SSI rate was nasal aPDT, especially in elective
surgery where compliance rates were higher.

 

The Honorable Jean Charest, Former Premier of Quebec and Ondine's Chairman,
commented:

"I commend the University of Sherbrooke team for their ambition to achieve
zero infections and their commitment to studying and using Steriwave toward
that goal. Their work reinforces that we should not accept infections as an
unavoidable side effect of hospital care and adds to the growing body of
evidence demonstrating the significant benefits of this innovative Canadian
technology for both patients and healthcare systems."

 

The findings of the University of Sherbrooke researchers are consistent with
previous research, notably a 14-year study involving over 13,000 patients at
Vancouver General Hospital, 2  (#_edn2) which reported a 66.5% decrease in
spine surgery infection rates with the use of Steriwave nasal
photodisinfection. The Vancouver study also highlighted substantial cost
savings, averaging $2.49 million annually, equating to $2,578 per surgical
patient.

 

 

Enquiries:

 Ondine Biomedical Inc.                                      www.ondinebio.com
                                                             (file:///C%3A/Users/avance.ONDINE/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/I3ZAUGL9/www.ondinebio.com)
 Carolyn Cross, CEO                                          Via Vane Percy & Roberts

 Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated & Financial Adviser)
 James Harris, Richard Johnson                               +44 (0)20 7409 3494

 RBC Capital Markets (Broker)
 Rupert Walford, Kathryn Deegan                              +44 (0)20 7653 4000

 Vane Percy & Roberts (Media Contact)
 Simon Vane Percy, Amanda Bernard                            +44 (0)77 1000 5910

 

 

 

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian life sciences company and leader in
light-activated antimicrobial therapies (also known as 'photodisinfection') to
prevent and treat infections, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant
bacteria. Ondine's patented light-activated antimicrobial technology offers a
safe, rapid, and effective alternative to traditional antibiotics, tackling
some of the most pressing healthcare challenges today.

 

About the Canadian Spine Society

The Canadian Spine Society is a professional organization dedicated to
promoting excellence in spine care through research, education, and advocacy.
Its annual conference convenes leading spine surgeons and researchers from
across Canada to share knowledge and discuss the latest advancements in the
field.

 

About Steriwave(®) Nasal Photodisinfection

Steriwave is an innovative antimicrobial treatment that rapidly eliminates a
broad spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Using a
proprietary, light-activated antimicrobial agent, Steriwave works in a simple
two-step process: the agent is first applied to the nostrils with a nasal
swab, then activated by a specific wavelength of red light. This activation
triggers an oxidative burst that destroys pathogens within a single
five-minute treatment-providing offering a robust alternative to traditional
antibiotics without the risk of developing resistance.

Nasal decolonization is recommended in the 2016 WHO Global guidelines for the
prevention of surgical site infections, 3  (#_edn3) and the Society for
Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) guidelines, published in May 2023,
recommend nasal decolonization for major surgical procedures. 4  (#_edn4)

 

 1  (#_ednref1) Zhang L, Li EN. Risk factors for surgical site infection
following lumbar spinal surgery: a meta-analysis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2018
Oct 31;14:2161-2169. (link (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6217168/)
)

 2  (#_ednref2) Moskven E et al. Effectiveness of prophylactic intranasal
photodynamic disinfection therapy and chlorhexidine gluconate body wipes for
surgical site infection prophylaxis in adult spine surgery. Can J Surg. 2023
Nov;66(6), E550-E560. (link (https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/66/6/E550) )

 3  (#_ednref3) Surgical Site Infection Prevention: Key facts on
decolonization of nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus. World Health
Organization. (link
(https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/integrated-health-services-(ihs)/ssi/fact-sheet-staphylococcus-web.pdf?sfvrsn=7e7266ed_2)
)

 4  (#_ednref4) 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
(https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/strategies-to-prevent-surgical-site-infections-in-acutecare-hospitals-2022-update/2F824B9ADD6066B29F89C8A2A127A9DC)
)

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