Food Processing Plant Sees Huge Reduction in Employee COVID-19 Rates After Using Ondine Biomedical’s Nasal Photodisinfection

VANCOUVER, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research presented at the PDT-PDD Conference in Nancy, France showed that a large food processing plant in Manitoba, Canada, was able to reduce the rate of COVID-19 amongst its employees following the use of Ondine Biomedical’s nasal photodisinfection. The rate of COVID-19 positive tests in the workforce fell from 6.4% to 0.5%, a reduction of over 10 times (p<0.0001) compared to rates in the community. The reduction in COVID-19 cases at the plant meant that food production was able to continue without disruption at a crucial time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between July 2020 and August 2021, approximately 1,500 employees were nasally photodisinfected on a voluntary basis during paid work hours. Compliance with the treatment was extremely high at 85% by the end of the study period. During the study, employees used Steriwave™ nasal photodisinfection to eliminate bacteria, fungi and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, from their noses. The nose has been shown to be the primary infection site for many infectious diseases, and eliminating pathogens from the nose has been demonstrated to reduce disease progression.ⁱ

Steriwave works to eliminate nasal bacteria, viruses and fungi with a simple, 5-minute treatment. The two-step process involves the application of a light-activated agent to each nostril using a nasal swab, followed by illumination of the area with a specific wavelength of laser light. The light activates the photodynamic agent, causing an oxidative burst that destroys all types of pathogens.

Dr. Nicolas Loebel, President and Chief Technology officer of Ondine Biomedical Inc., said: “These results were provided to us by the local infection control team in Manitoba. Facilities like this plant are highly vulnerable to disease outbreaks, significantly disrupting food production and impacting sales. When nasal photodisinfection was added to the standard infection control bundle, COVID-19 rates were suppressed by over 10 times compared to the surrounding community rates.”

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian headquartered company innovating in the field of photodisinfection therapies. Ondine has a pipeline of investigational products, based on its proprietary photodisinfection platform, in various stages of development. Products beyond nasal photodisinfection include therapies for a variety of medical indications such as sinusitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns, and other indications.

ⁱ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-18513-0.pdf