Ondine Continues to Expand Hospital Adoption of Steriwave Across the UK and Canada to Reduce Surgical Site Infections

Latest NHS adoption at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust reinforces the growing use of Steriwave across orthopaedic, cardiac surgery and intensive care settings

DARTFORD, UNITED KINGDOM, November 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has become the latest NHS provider to adopt Ondine's nasal photodisinfection technology, Steriwave, to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.

This follows a trial that demonstrated the benefits, enabling patients to be treated at short notice, helping the Trust make better use of available theatre capacity, and, most importantly, preventing patients from acquiring an SSI.

SSIs pose a significant clinical and financial challenge for healthcare systems. Data from the NHS Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme indicate that patients who develop infections after elective hip and knee surgery may require an additional two to four weeks of inpatient care, including readmissions and further treatment.

By introducing Steriwave nasal decolonisation immediately before surgery, hospitals are reducing the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) by targeting harmful pathogens in the nose, a major reservoir of bacteria linked to these infections. Steriwave is a five-minute, nurse-administered treatment that uses a light-activated antimicrobial agent and red light to rapidly destroy pathogens through an oxidative process that damages essential microbial structures. Unlike traditional antibiotic-based decolonisation, which requires patients to apply nasal treatments over several days and can be undermined by poor compliance and growing antibiotic resistance, Steriwave offers a rapid, non-antibiotic alternative that can be reliably delivered at the point of care immediately before surgery.

Kris Khambhaita, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, commented: "Preventing avoidable infections is a key priority for our Trust and the patients we care for. Introducing Steriwave into our elective orthopaedic pathway is an innovative addition to our wider infection prevention approach, providing a rapid, non-antibiotic intervention immediately before surgery. This work supports our commitment to reducing infection risks, promoting responsible antibiotic use and maintaining capacity for planned surgical care. I'd like to thank our clinical teams for embracing this initiative and everyone involved in helping us bring the pathway into practice."

Will Ferreira, Deputy Director of Operations, Surgical Critical & Planned Care Division at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, added:"Working in partnership with Mölnlycke to trial Steriwave in our Trust has helped us address a longstanding planning challenge around MRSA screening and decolonisation before elective surgery. This can create difficulties when emergency or complex patients need to be accommodated within our elective surgical sites at short notice. Through the Steriwave trial, we have so far been able to treat patients within this cohort at our QMH site, with treatment organised in less than 24 hours. This has helped us make better use of available theatre time, which might otherwise have gone unused, while providing patients with a more planned and relaxed experience."

The deployment also reflects a broader trend in Steriwave adoption across the UK and Canada, as hospitals explore its use in multiple clinical settings where bacterial colonisation presents an infection risk, including orthopaedic procedures, cardiac surgery and critical care. This is supported by a growing body of real-world clinical evidence demonstrating its potential to reduce surgical site infections across a range of surgical specialities.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust recently reported a 78% reduction in SSIs for high-risk endoscopic anterior skull-base surgery in its Steriwave study.
Earlier real-world data from Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust showed a 71% reduction in SSIs for elective hip and knee replacements. A separate health economic analysis by the York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) found Steriwave to be cost-saving.

Steriwave's classification as an Innovation Product by NHS Supply Chain further supports its accessibility to NHS healthcare providers, following an evaluation process recognising novel technologies considered by clinical specialists to offer distinct advantages over existing standard care.

Steriwave is distributed in the UK via a strategic partnership with Mölnlycke Health Care and remains readily accessible to NHS healthcare providers through the NHS Supply Chain framework with its classification as an Innovation Product. For more information contact: Healthcare Professionals Contact or antiseptics.uk@molnlycke.com, or call +44 0800 917 4918.

ENDS

For media information contact
Simon Vane Percy (e) simon@vanepercy.com (m) + 44 (0) 7710 005 910

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.
Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian life sciences company focused on the development of light-activated antimicrobial therapies ("photodisinfection") for the prevention and treatment of infections, including those associated with multidrug-resistant organisms.
Ondine's lead product, Steriwave^®, is authorised for nasal decolonisation in Canada and certain international markets. In the United States, the technology has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation and Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and has completed enrolment in its Phase 3 clinical trial.

The Company has a pipeline of additional photodisinfection products in various stages of development for applications including chronic sinusitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns and other indications.

About Mölnlycke
Mölnlycke Health Care is a world-leading MedTech company that specialises in innovative solutions for wound care and surgical procedures. Mölnlycke products and solutions are used daily by hospitals, healthcare providers and patients in over 100 countries around the world. Founded in 1849, Mölnlycke is owned by Investor AB and headquartered in Sweden.
www.molnlycke.com

U.S. Regulatory Status and Clinical Data Disclaimer
Regulatory Status and Clinical Data Disclaimer
Ondine’s light-activated antimicrobial technology, commercially available as Steriwave^® in certain jurisdictions, is not approved, cleared, or commercially available for sale or clinical use in the United States and is limited by U.S. law to investigational use only.
References to clinical outcomes in this release should be interpreted in the context of the specific studies or real-world evaluations described and do not imply regulatory approval for any particular indication.

Notice Regarding Investigational Status in the United States:
Steriwave^® is CE-marked in Europe and is authorized for nasal decolonization in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Mexico. In the United States, Steriwave has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation and Fast Track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Steriwave is currently an investigational product in the United States and is limited by U.S. law to investigational use only. It has not been approved by the FDA as safe or effective for any indication, and it is not commercially available for sale or clinical use in the United States. Statements regarding clinical study results are factual summaries of completed research and do not constitute representations of FDA approval or guaranteed regulatory outcomes.

S J VANE PERCY
VANE PERCY & ROBERTS