15th Sep 2025 11:17
(Alliance News) - Ondine Biomedical Inc on Monday said its Steriwave photodisinfection therapy has been proven highly effective against Candidozyma auris, a drug-resistant fungus that has seen cases surge across Europe.
The Vancouver, Canada-based life sciences company said Steriwave demonstrated 99.9% eradication of C. auris in minutes, based on laboratory studies and previous clinical data.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control reported 1,346 hospital cases in 2023, up 67% year-on-year and nearly 400% higher than in 2020.
The fungus is difficult to detect, resists most disinfectants and can survive for extended periods on medical equipment, the ECDC said. The US Centres for Disease Control has described C. auris as an "urgent threat," citing mortality rates approaching 60% within 90 days of infection.
Ondine said Steriwave is already in use in hospitals in Canada and is being adopted by NHS trusts in the UK. The non-invasive therapy involves applying a photosensitive agent to the nostrils before illuminating it with red light to kill pathogens.
Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Cross said: "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 hospitalised patients."
The company said fungal outbreaks are not only deadly but also costly, with the ECDC estimating a single hospital outbreak can cost more than EUR1 million.
Shares in Ondine Biomedical were down 1.6% at 15.01 pence in London on Monday morning.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
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