Ondine Biomedical Inc (AIM:OBI) said it has treated the first patient taking part in a US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) phase II clinical evaluating the use of its nasal photodisinfection technology to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs).
The open-label study of up to 500 people will assess how well the treatment eradicates the main pathogen, staphylococcus aureus.
It is being run at HCA Healthcare's Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia.
The process of photodisinfection using Ondine’s Steriwave technology deploys a two-step method.
Patients receive a light-activated agent to each nostril followed by a few minutes of illumination with a specific wavelength and power level of light.
“This is a truly novel approach to nasal disinfection, and we believe that our technology has the potential to have a significant effect on combatting SSIs, complications, and extended hospital stays," said the company’s founder and chief executive, Carolyn Cross.
SSIs are estimated to affect 300,000 people in the US, costing "tens of billions of dollars" in additional care, Ondine said.