7 September 2022

Ondine Biomedical Inc.

("Ondine Biomedical", "Ondine" or the "Company")

Ondine's photodisinfection kills ESKAPE pathogens

Canadian life sciences company, Ondine Biomedical Inc. (LON: OBI), will this week present an in vitro study at the World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress, in Maryland, USA on the effectiveness of its photodisinfection technology against the group of highly infectious and antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as ESKAPE pathogens.[i]  ESKAPE pathogens are the most virulent and dangerous pathogens responsible for some of the deadliest healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Results of the study showed that Ondine's photodisinfection technology eliminated all ESKAPE pathogens with a high degree of efficacy, without provoking resistance. This parallels the top-line results from a US Phase 2 study announced earlier this week which showed that a single, 5-minute treatment of Ondine's nasal photodisinfection significantly reduces Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA) in pre-surgical patients.

Dr. Nicolas Loebel, Ondine's CTO and President, said:

"Overuse of antibiotics over decades has caused adaptation in many microbes, and we now see multidrug resistance (MDR) evolving into extensive drug resistance (XDR) in bacteria, rendering even the most powerful drugs we have ineffective. Extended spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Gram negative bacteria are extremely serious threats in hospital environments. 

"We have now shown that photodisinfection is capable of safely eliminating these ESKAPE microbes in minutes, without provoking resistance.  We also demonstrated this in biofilm - the tough polymeric matrix surrounding bacterial colonies making them very difficult to attack, along with specialized dormant cells called persister cells that cause long term recalcitrant infections. We believe photodisinfection can play a significant role in combatting these drug-resistant pathogens and reducing global reliance on antibiotics."

ESKAPE pathogens are deadly bacteria with rapidly growing multidrug-resistant properties, making them extremely hard to treat. According to the CDC, ESKAPE pathogens cause over 2 million illnesses and approximately 23,000 deaths in the US annually.[ii] Infections caused by ESKAPE pathogens are associated with longer infection lengths and significantly higher fatality rates.[iii] They are especially dangerous to children, and immunocompromised or critically ill people.

The World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress is the largest annual antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) conference. Since 2015, it has been the go-to conference globally for all stakeholders in the AMR space to meet, brainstorm ideas and formulate initiatives that can effectively tackle antimicrobial resistance.

The poster entitled "Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) Against ESKAPE Pathogens" is available to download from Ondine's website here.

For more information, please visit:  www.ondinebio.com or contact: 

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian headquartered company led by founder and CEO, Carolyn Cross. Ondine has developed a patented, photodisinfection technology platform used in treatment and prevention therapies for a broad-spectrum of pathogens - including multidrug-resistant strains. Photodisinfection is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment which uses non-thermal light to activate a photosensitive agent. In a few minutes, this light-based therapy destroys the pathogens through an oxidative burst without harming human tissue.

Ondine has a pipeline of investigational products, based on its proprietary photodisinfection platform, in various stages of development. Products include treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, decolonization of infections in burns and wounds, disinfection of endotracheal tubes to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia and most recently, the development of topical antiviral therapy for the upper respiratory tract to reduce viral titres and transmission of respiratory viruses (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, etc.). Ondine's technology is approved in several jurisdictions and has been awarded the CE mark, as well as Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation and Fast Track status in the US by the FDA.