RCS - Ondine Biomedical - Steriwave proven to be effective against C Auris

Ondine BiomedicalAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 3409Z  Ondine Biomedical Inc.  15 September 2025

15 September 2025

 

ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC.

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

 

Steriwave proven to be effective against C Auris

C. Auris drug resistant fungus has increased by 67% in EU Hospitals year on
year

VANCOUVER, B.C.- According to a new report this month from the European Centre
for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) cases of Candidozyma auris (C.
auris) formerly known as Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus, have
increased by 67% in hospitals over the last year representing a growing
challenge and cost to healthcare systems. Ondine Biomedical Inc., a leader in
light activated antimicrobials for the treatment and prevention of infections,
has found its Steriwave photodisinfection technology to be 99.9% effective
against C. auris

The ECDC reported a total of 1,346 cases in 2023, up by c. 400% from 2020. The
true scale of the problem is likely much higher, as challenges with
identification and a lack of systematic surveillance mean many cases go
unreported. Public health officials in the USA have also identified C. auris
as an urgent threat, citing a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
study that found a nearly 60% 90-day mortality rate in those who contract it.

C. auris is not only deadly but also highly costly. According to the ECDC, a
single outbreak can exceed €1 million in containment and treatment expenses.
The fungus is able to survive on surfaces and medical equipment for extended
periods and is resistant to most disinfectants, making it a growing
occupational health risk to healthcare professionals, as well as their
patients.

"Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic,
fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments,
becoming a public health concern worldwide" said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO
Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Ondine will be presenting UK-based infection reduction results at the
International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva
on 18 September 2025 in an oral presentation.  At ICPIC 2019, the Company
presented its groundbreaking Steriwave photodisinfection technology,
demonstrating a remarkable 99.9% (3 log) eradication of the C. auris fungus in
just minutes.

Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine, stated: "Our light-activated antimicrobial
platform has been shown to inactivate a broad spectrum of clinically relevant
pathogens, including fungi such as C. auris and Mucor. We see substantial
potential in its application for managing the rising burden of invasive fungal
infections in hospitalized patients."

Over the past decade, the costs related to invasive fungal infections have
risen sharply, primarily due to expanding at-risk, immunocompromised and
critically ill patient populations, longer hospital stays, and complex
treatment requirements. The estimated annual cost of invasive fungal
infections is approximately $19.4 billion in the United States and ranges
from €8,000 to over €80,000 per patient in the EU, with the total direct
costs in the EU running into several billion euros each year. The main cost
drivers are prolonged hospital stays, antifungal drug expenditures, and ICU
admissions.

Steriwave is a non-invasive, painless therapy that involves applying a
photosensitive agent to each nostril and illuminating it with a specific
wavelength of red light which kills all types of pathogens in the nose, a
major reservoir of bugs, immediately.

Steriwave is already being used in hospitals across Canada and increasingly in
the UK's NHS.

 

Enquiries:

 Ondine Biomedical Inc.                                      www.ondinebio.com
 Carolyn Cross, CEO                                          +1 604 669 0555

or via Vane Percy & Roberts

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

 Peel Hunt LLP (Broker & Joint Financial Advisor)
 James Steel, Dr. Chris Golden                               +44 (0)20 7418 8900

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

 

 

About Candidozyma (Candida) auris

Candidozyma auris enters hospital environments primarily through colonized or
infected patients, often arriving via patient transfers or admissions from
other healthcare or communal settings. Once in situ, it can persist on
surfaces and be indirectly transmitted to other patients via healthcare
workers or contaminated equipment, fueling outbreaks and challenging infection
control efforts. Robust screening, environmental cleaning, and decolonization
strategies-such as those offered by photodisinfection technologies-are
critical in preventing and controlling C. auris outbreaks.

First identified in Japan in 2009, C. auris has become a prominent public
health challenge, notable for its formidable resistance to standard antifungal
treatments. It is associated with high transmission rates in healthcare
settings and poses a grave risk to immunocompromised and vulnerable patients,
including those undergoing cancer treatment, with mortality rates reaching up
to 60% in severe cases (ECDC, 2023).

About Ondine Biomedical

Ondine Biomedical is a global leader in photodisinfection technology,
dedicated to delivering innovative solutions to combat antimicrobial
resistance and healthcare-associated infections. With proven success in
reducing pathogen transmission and outbreaks, Ondine remains at the forefront
of preventing infectious disease threats in hospitals worldwide.

References

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). (2023, April 19).
Candida auris confirmed spread rapidly across European hospitals. News &
Events.
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/drug-resistant-fungus-candidozyma-auris-confirmed-spread-rapidly-european-hospitals
(https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/drug-resistant-fungus-candidozyma-auris-confirmed-spread-rapidly-european-hospitals)

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). (2024, May 22).
Results of the third point prevalence survey on Candida auris in EU/EEA
hospitals: 2023 data. ECDC.
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/candidozyma-auris-survey-epidemiological-situation-laboratory-capacity-2024.pdf
(https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/candidozyma-auris-survey-epidemiological-situation-laboratory-capacity-2024.pdf)

Kim, H. Y. P., Nguyen, T. A. M., Kidd, S. P., Chambers, J. M.,
Alastruey-Izquierdo, A. P., Shin, J. M., et al. (2024). Candida auris-A
systematic review to inform the World Health Organization fungal priority
pathogens list. Medical Mycology, 62(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/mmy/myae042
(https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1093/mmy/myae042)

Ondine Biomedical. (2019, October 16). Candida auris program results presented
at ICPIC. Ondine Biomedical.
https://ondinebio.com/candida-auris-program-results-presented-at-icpic/
(https://ondinebio.com/candida-auris-program-results-presented-at-icpic/)

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