Ondine Biomedical has published details of a study highlighting the effectiveness of its Steriwave nasal photodisinfection in boosting the immune response of Covid sufferers.
In a placebo-controlled, single-blind clinical study of 75 predominantly vaccinated COVID-19 patients, a decrease in viral infectivity was recorded as early as two days, while placebo recipients were non-responsive.
Steriwave therapy also significantly improved the immune-protective status of treated patients, said Ondine, as measured by PCR testing one week after treatment, with a significant improvement in symptoms of chest tightness and headache also reported.
The study was conducted at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain, during the sixth Omicron (B.1.1.529) outbreak in late 2021 / early 2022.
Steriwave photodisinfection also substantially prolonged patient immunity against SARS-CoV-2 at 20 weeks after treatment, the study noted.
Alejandro Fernandez-Montero, its co-lead investigator, said: "This randomized, controlled study shows that photodisinfection could be an effective and safe novel treatment for SARS-CoV-2 carriers, significantly decreasing the infectivity period.
"Most exciting is the demonstration of an adaptive immune response in treated patients. This is the basis of vaccination, and it means that nasal decolonization might provide an alternative, low-cost, widely accessible, respiratory virus treatment during future pandemics.
"The treatment specifically helped to maintain, over time, the cell-mediated immunity, which is remarkable as this is the immune protection needed against severe disease."
Carolyn Cross, Ondine Biomedical's chief executive added: "The Clínica Universidad de Navarra study sheds new light on the photodisinfection treatment of respiratory viruses, where antibiotics are entirely ineffective and new anti-viral therapies are limited.”