VANCOUVER - Ondine Biomedical Inc. (LON: OBI), a biotech firm specializing in photodisinfection therapies, has initiated a major U.S. Phase 3 clinical trial named LANTERN, with the first patient enrolled and treated on Friday. The trial is testing the company’s non-antibiotic nasal photodisinfection technology at Centennial Medical (TASE:PMCN) Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
The LANTERN study will involve around 5,000 patients across 14 hospitals, assessing the effectiveness of Ondine’s technology, known as Steriwave® outside the U.S., in preventing surgical site infections. The trial, in collaboration with HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA), will compare standard infection prevention practices to those including Ondine’s nasal photodisinfection.
The process, which takes about 5 minutes, is designed to rapidly remove pathogens from the nose without contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a growing concern in healthcare. The treatment involves a photosensitive agent applied to the nostrils, followed by exposure to a specific red light wavelength, creating an oxidative reaction that eliminates bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Ondine’s CEO, Carolyn Cross, emphasized the significance of the trial for providing healthcare professionals with a tool to combat infection-causing pathogens swiftly without fostering drug resistance or depending on patient compliance, unlike topical antibiotics.
The trial targets patients undergoing various major surgeries, including cardiac, orthopedic, and neurosurgical procedures. Enrollment is expected to continue until mid-2025, with preliminary results anticipated in Autumn 2025.
Nasal decolonization is a recommended practice in global healthcare guidelines for reducing surgical site infections, as per the 2016 WHO guidelines and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s 2023 recommendations.
This report is based on a press release statement from Ondine Biomedical Inc.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.