Clinical validation and real-world adoption drove the headlines in Thursday's session, with genedrive reporting growing integration of its hearing-loss assay into neonatal care at Manchester NHS and Ondine Biomedical publishing striking data showing its nasal photodisinfection technology cut brain surgery infection rates by nearly four-fifths. A property letting from Regional REIT rounded out the day's news.
Genedrive assay embedded in Manchester NHS neonatal practice
genedrive (AIM:GDR) reported that its pharmacogenomics assay has become a routine tool within neonatal care at Manchester NHS, with clinicians using it to rapidly identify babies at risk of aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss before antibiotic treatment begins. Dr Ajit Mahaveer described the test as "an integral part of our neonatal practice," underscoring the clinical stickiness the company has achieved at one of its anchor NHS sites.
The update lifted the shares 6.1% to 1.3p, reflecting market recognition that embedded clinical adoption is a materially stronger signal than pilot-stage usage. Aminoglycoside antibiotics remain a front-line treatment for neonatal sepsis, making point-of-care genetic screening a high-value intervention wherever the assay can be deployed at scale.
Ondine nasal photodisinfection cuts endonasal brain surgery infections by 78.5%
Ondine Biomedical (AIM:OBI) published data showing its Steriwave nasal photodisinfection system reduced infection rates in endonasal brain surgery by 78.5%, a result the company positioned as directly addressing the elevated self-infection risk inherent in procedures that access the brain through the nasal cavity. CEO Carolyn Cross noted that while the surgical approach itself represents a major medical advance, it creates a direct pathway for nasal pathogens to reach the operative site, a problem Steriwave is designed to close.
The shares rose 3.45% to 15.0p on the news. Endonasal neurosurgery is a growing subspecialty, and a near-80% infection reduction in a high-acuity setting gives Ondine a compelling evidence base to pursue adoption across neurosurgical centres.
