Ondine Biomedical Inc (AIM:OBI), the life sciences company, bounced 22% higher in trading on Tuesday after Alberta Health Services expanded the use of its Steriwave devices.
Steriwave, the Canadian group’s nasal photo-disinfection device, aims to reduce surgical site infections in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery by using a red-light activated agent to eliminate infection-causing bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Following on from a successful pilot study at the Manzankowski Alberta Heart Institute, the device will now be used at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton ahead of 3,000 planned orthopaedic surgeries in the next 12 months.
Ondine Biomedical's chief executive officer Carolyn Cross said: “The successful initial implementation of Steriwave into the pre-surgical treatment protocols at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute has driven rapid adoption of Steriwave for orthopaedic surgeries at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.”
Cross noted how photo-disinfection only takes five minutes to “eradicate a broad spectrum” of bacteria, fungi and viruses, in comparison to more traditional antibiotic-led treatments “which can take five days to achieve efficacy”.
“Alongside growing global concerns about the consequences of antimicrobial resistance, we are seeing more hospitals looking to move away from topical antibiotic nasal decolonization,” she added.
“Photo-disinfection’s rapid eradication of potentially harmful pathogens gives healthcare professionals better control over patient outcomes."
Shares in Ondine have jumped close to 40% in the last month, having opened trading on Tuesday at around 10p.