Canadian life sciences company Ondine Biomedical Inc (LON: OBI) announced on Wednesday that leading private healthcare provider HCA Healthcare UK has authorised the use of Steriwave, a light-activated antimicrobial developed by Ondine Biomedical.

HCA Healthcare UK will use Steriwave in its healthcare facilities to combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and reduce antibiotic usage.

Steriwave's unique mechanism of action makes it resistant to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), effectively destroying bacteria, viruses and fungi in just five minutes.

This approval signifies a significant step in addressing the growing concern of AMR, particularly in preventing and treating HAIs. Steriwave has already demonstrated successful outcomes in HCA Healthcare UK hospitals and will now be more widely adopted across additional healthcare facilities.

Furthermore, HCA Healthcare is collaborating with Ondine in the US to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial, aiming for FDA approval to introduce Ondine's nasal photodisinfection technology into the US market.

With 184 hospitals and over 2,000 sites of care, HCA Healthcare is the largest healthcare system in the US.

Ondine Biomedical is at the forefront of innovating light-activated antimicrobial therapies, with Steriwave being its flagship product. Beyond nasal photodisinfection, Ondine's pipeline includes therapies for various medical indications such as chronic sinusitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia, offering promising solutions to combat healthcare challenges globally.