Ondine Biomedical Inc (AIM:OBI, OTC:OBIMF) has announced a collaborative partnership with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber to conduct the first UK health economic analysis of its Steriwave light-activated antimicrobial.
The York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) will lead this analysis, focusing on the potential of Steriwave to significantly reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) within the NHS.
Dr Stuart Bond, director of innovation at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, commented: "We are very pleased to be partnering with Ondine and the YHEC on this economic analysis to support the promising results of the Steriwave pilot we have seen so far.
“The data from the health economic analysis will support the results of our pilot, and we hope to be able to share these later this year."
SSIs represent a prevalent issue in healthcare, impacting one in every 20 surgical patients and imposing costs of up to £100,000 per patient.
With the NHS facing over £2 billion annually in expenses due to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions like Steriwave.
Steriwave utilises a proprietary photosensitizer activated by red light to eliminate infection-causing pathogens, particularly in the nose- a common reservoir for bacteria linked to SSIs.
This treatment, lasting a mere five minutes, addresses pathogens including MRSA, without contributing to AMR, a significant advantage over traditional antibiotics.
The study, supplementing an ongoing Steriwave pilot involving 500 elective hip and knee surgery patients, aims to bolster the adoption of Steriwave across NHS facilities.