Ondine Biomedical (AIM:OBI), the AIM-listed developer of light-activated antimicrobial therapies, announced interim study results showing its Steriwave nasal photodisinfection technology reduced surgical site infections (SSIs) by 78.5% in complex brain surgery performed through the nose, against a standard five-day antibiotic nasal treatment regimen.
The interim analysis covered 189 patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals undergoing endoscopic endonasal skull-base surgery (EESB), a procedure that creates a direct pathway between the bacteria-rich nasal cavity and the brain, historically associated with post-operative meningitis rates of 1.8% to 2.6% in UK practice.
No cases of meningitis were recorded among patients who received the five-minute pre-surgical Steriwave protocol, which achieves 100% compliance by moving decolonisation into the clinical setting; traditional home-based antibiotic treatment sees only around 40% of patients complete the course as directed.
"Accessing brain surgery through the nose is a remarkable medical advancement, but it inherently elevates the risk of patient self-infection as many pathogens reside in the nose," said Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine Biomedical.
The results carry a p-value of 0.0052 and are being presented at ENDOAthens, the 10th World Congress for Endoscopic Surgery of Sinuses, Skull Base, Brain, Spine and Orbit, in Athens on 18 June.
