Ondine Biomedical presents research demonstrating high efficacy against Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) bacteria at ICPIC 2023

Ondine Biomedical presents research demonstrating high efficacy against Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) bacteria at ICPIC 2023

Canadian life sciences company Ondine Biomedical Inc. (LON: OBI) has presented new research at the 2023 International Consortium on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva, demonstrating high efficacy of its patented photodisinfection technology against extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria. Ondine is the global leader in developing photodisinfection-based therapies for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

The study demonstrates that Ondine’s Steriwave™ photodisinfection technology is highly effective (>99.99% kills in 20 seconds) against both moderately drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) pathogens. Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae cause many serious healthcare-associated infections.  The research underlines the potential for Steriwave to become a rapid, broad-spectrum, bactericidal alternative to antibiotics.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an urgent global public health threat resulting in 1.27 million annual deaths worldwide, and is predicted to become one of the largest threats to human health in the coming years.[i] The emergence and worldwide spread of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) microbes is highly concerning, as infections caused by these pathogens are virtually untreatable because they are proving resistant to almost all approved antimicrobial agents.[ii]^,[iii]

Dr. Nicolas Loebel, Ondine’s CTO and President, commented: “Overuse of antibiotics over decades has caused adaptation in many microbes, and we now see multidrug resistance (MDR) evolving into extensive drug resistance (XDR) in bacteria, rendering even the most powerful combination of drugs ineffective. We believe photodisinfection can play a significant role in cost-effectively combatting these drug-resistant pathogens and reducing global reliance on antibiotics.  We know of no other antimicrobial that can match the performance, safety, and cost benefits of photodisinfection.”

Ondine’s Steriwave system employs patented technology that rapidly and safely eliminates bacteria, fungi, and viruses located on human tissues. Ondine is a previous winner of an ICPIC Innovation Award of Excellence for its clinical and pre-clinical work demonstrating photodisinfection efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. In 2013, Canada’s Vancouver General Hospital was also awarded the ICPIC Innovation Award of Excellence for its universal pre-surgical nasal decolonization program using Ondine’s Steriwave system, significantly reducing post-surgical infection rates and improving outcomes for thousands of surgical patients.

The poster presentation, “Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy Against Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) Gram-Negative Isolates With Novel Antibiotic Resistance Factors”, is being presented at the 7^th International Consortium on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC) from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm CET on Thursday 14 September 2023. ICPIC is a leading international conference on the prevention of healthcare-associated infections and the control of antimicrobial resistance around the world.

[i] Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators (2022). Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet (London, England), 399(10325), 629–655. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0

[ii] Ryding, S. “What are Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) Bacteria?” News Medical Life Sciences. Nov. 16, 2021. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-are-Extensively-Drug-Resistant-(XDR)-Bacteria.aspx

[iii] CDC. COVID-19: U.S. Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance, Special Report 2022. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2022.