Ondine Biomedical Inc. has demonstrated that its Steriwave photodisinfection technology achieves 99.9% eradication of Candidozyma auris (C. auris), a drug-resistant fungus that poses an escalating threat to healthcare systems worldwide. The breakthrough comes as European hospitals face a 67% year-over-year increase in C. auris cases, according to new data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Alarming Rise in Drug-Resistant Fungal Infections
The ECDC reported a total of 1,346 C. auris cases in European hospitals during 2023, representing a nearly 400% increase from 2020 levels. The true scale of the problem is likely much higher, as challenges with identification and a lack of systematic surveillance mean many cases go unreported. Public health officials in the United States have also identified C. auris as an urgent threat, with CDC studies finding a nearly 60% 90-day mortality rate in those who contract the infection.
"Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide," said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Significant Economic and Clinical Burden
C. auris presents both deadly clinical outcomes and substantial economic costs to healthcare systems. According to the ECDC, a single outbreak can exceed €1 million in containment and treatment expenses. The fungus demonstrates remarkable persistence, surviving on surfaces and medical equipment for extended periods while resisting most conventional disinfectants, creating ongoing occupational health risks for healthcare professionals and their patients.
The broader economic impact of invasive fungal infections has risen sharply over the past decade, primarily due to expanding at-risk, immunocompromised and critically ill patient populations, longer hospital stays, and complex treatment requirements. The estimated annual cost of invasive fungal infections reaches approximately $19.4 billion in the United States, while costs range from €8,000 to over €80,000 per patient in the EU, with total direct costs running into several billion euros annually.
Steriwave Technology Demonstrates Breakthrough Efficacy
Ondine Biomedical's Steriwave represents a non-invasive, painless therapy that involves applying a photosensitive agent to each nostril and illuminating it with a specific wavelength of red light. This process kills all types of pathogens in the nose—a major reservoir of infectious organisms—immediately upon treatment.
"Our light-activated antimicrobial platform has been shown to inactivate a broad spectrum of clinically relevant pathogens, including fungi such as C. auris and Mucor," stated Carolyn Cross, CEO of Ondine Biomedical. "We see substantial potential in its application for managing the rising burden of invasive fungal infections in hospitalized patients."
Clinical Implementation and Future Outlook
Steriwave is already being utilized in hospitals across Canada and increasingly within the UK's NHS system. The company will present UK-based infection reduction results at the International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva on September 18, 2025, in an oral presentation. At ICPIC 2019, Ondine previously presented its groundbreaking photodisinfection technology, demonstrating the remarkable 99.9% (3 log) eradication of the C. auris fungus in just minutes.
Understanding C. auris Transmission and Control
First identified in Japan in 2009, C. auris has become a prominent public health challenge, notable for its formidable resistance to standard antifungal treatments. The pathogen enters hospital environments primarily through colonized or infected patients, often arriving via patient transfers or admissions from other healthcare or communal settings. Once established, it can persist on surfaces and be indirectly transmitted to other patients via healthcare workers or contaminated equipment, fueling outbreaks and challenging infection control efforts.
The fungus poses a grave risk to immunocompromised and vulnerable patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment, with mortality rates reaching up to 60% in severe cases. Robust screening, environmental cleaning, and decolonization strategies—such as those offered by photodisinfection technologies—are critical in preventing and controlling C. auris outbreaks in healthcare settings.
