Ottawa Heart Institute Reduces CABG SSIs by 51.5%

23 October 2026

ONDINE BIOMEDICAL INC.

("Ondine Biomedical", "Ondine", or the "Company")

Ottawa Heart Institute Reduces CABG SSIs by 51.5%

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute reported, at the 2026 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, that Steriwave® nasal photodisinfection outperformed mupirocin with a 51.5% reduction in CABG conduit harvest-site infections and 93.3% patient compliance.

·      51.5% Reduction in Conduit Harvest-Site SSIs (p=0.012): Incidence fell from 3.3% to 1.6% across 2,172 coronary artery bypass grafting ("CABG") procedures.

·      93.3% Patient Compliance Rate vs. 35.4% with Mupirocin (p<0.001): Nurse-led point-of-care nasal photodisinfection removed adherence barriers inherent to multi-day, self-administered regimens.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. (AIM: OBI), a leader in light-activated antimicrobial therapies to prevent hospital-acquired infections, announces findings from a real-world evaluation of 2,172 CABG procedures at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute ("UOHI"), one of Canada's foremost cardiac centres. The findings were presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2026 ("CCC") in Ottawa from 15-17 October 2026 and published in abstract form in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.[1,2] The CCC is the largest gathering of cardiovascular and healthcare professionals in Canada, co-hosted annually by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) is Canada's largest cardiovascular health center, serving as the primary tertiary and quaternary cardiac care hub for 14 regional hospital partners. The hospital addresses the needs of a population of nearly 2 million residents across Eastern Ontario and beyond. UOHI's primary geographic catchment covers approximately 18,000 square kilometers (7,000 square miles).

Implementing Steriwave moved nasal decolonisation from a multi-day process dependent on patient adherence to a clinician-delivered treatment at the point of care. The two posters examined complementary aspects of the programme: one focused on surgical site infection ("SSI") outcomes, while the other examined implementation and patient compliance.

During CABG surgery, a donor vein or artery may be harvested from the leg or arm to construct the bypass graft. Infections occurring at these donor incision sites are referred to as conduit harvest-site surgical site infections. SSIs are a serious complication of cardiac surgery and can occur at either the chest incision or the conduit harvest site. They can delay recovery, require readmission, prolong hospital and intensive care stays, and increase mortality risk.

The single-center, interrupted time-series evaluation analyzed 2,172 consecutive isolated CABG procedures performed between June 2023 and January 2026, comparing a 24-month baseline mupirocin era (n=1,678) against the first 8 months of the Steriwave® photodisinfection era (n=494). The new photodisinfection practice achieved near-universal compliance and improved patient outcomes under a kindness-based, high-accountability nurse leadership model.

1.   The UOHI Clinical Abstract: Titled "Nasal Photodisinfection and Surgical Site Infection Following Cardiac Surgery: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis," was authored by an UOHI multidisciplinary clinical and surgical team comprising N. Kang, MD; A. Charlebois, MScN; C. Hogan, RN; R. Masters, MD; K. Neilipovitz, RN; T. Al-Atassi, MD; M. Boodhwani, MD; V. Chan, MD; N. Clarizia, MD; M. Guo, MD; H. Issa, MD; B. Lam, MD; M. Ruel, MD; H. Toeg, MD; M. Taljaard, PhD; P. Voisine, MD; and F.D. Rubens, MD [1].

2.   The UOHI Nursing & Implementation Abstract: Titled "Leading with Kindness: Impacting Compliance of a Nurse-Led Nasal Photodisinfection Initiative to Reduce Conduit Infection Rates," was presented by an UOHI nursing leadership team comprising K. Neilipovitz, RN, BScN, MA; E. Jordison, RN, BScN; A. Szabadi, RN, BScN; A. Woolfrey, RN, BScN; and F.D. Rubens, MD, MSc [2].

Following the adoption of Steriwave®, overall conduit harvest-site surgical site infections dropped from 3.3% during the mupirocin era down to 1.6%. This represents a statistically significant 51.5% relative reduction on interrupted time-series analysis (RR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.70, p=0.012). Patient engagement also improved dramatically under the new protocol. Nurse-led photodisinfection achieved 93.3% patient compliance (p<0.001), a substantial increase compared to the mupirocin era, which saw only 35.4% compliance overall and 17.5% among non-elective patients.

Carolyn Cross, Chief Executive Officer of Ondine Biomedical, commented:

"We congratulate the clinical and nursing teams at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute on this meaningful achievement through their dedication to patient safety. UOHI's commitment to improving patient outcomes, strengthening antibiotic stewardship, and implementing Steriwave through kindness-based, high-accountability leadership is reflected in the near-universal protocol compliance and encouraging reduction in conduit harvest-site infections. These real-world findings reinforce the practical value of point-of-care nasal photodisinfection in cardiac surgery and support its broader adoption across surgical pathways. It is rewarding to see such positive clinical outcomes documented by Canada's largest cardiac center during the first 8 months of Steriwave deployment."

The UOHI findings complement topline results from Ondine's 5,188-patient multicenter LANTERN Study across 18 hospitals in North America, which met its prespecified Bayesian success criterion and demonstrated a 40.5% relative reduction in 30-day SSIs [3].

Enquiries:

About the University of Ottawa Heart Institute

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) is Canada's largest cardiovascular health center, serving as the primary tertiary and quaternary cardiac care hub for 14 regional hospital partners serving a population of nearly 2 million residents across Eastern Ontario. UOHI's primary geographic catchment covers approximately 18,000 square kilometers (7,000 square miles). Beyond its regional boundaries, UOHI accepts complex cardiac referrals from more than 40 hospitals across Western Quebec, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Renowned internationally for excellence in clinical care, research, and healthcare innovation, the Heart Institute manages over 270,000 patient visits and thousands of complex cardiac procedures annually, including open-heart surgeries, heart transplants, and mechanical circulatory support implantations. Supported by a workforce of over 1,500 healthcare professionals, researchers, and staff, UOHI houses Canada's premier cardiovascular research enterprise, seamlessly integrating bedside care with academic research to pioneer clinical standards and national quality initiatives. For more information, visit www.ottawaheart.ca.

About the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC) 2026

The Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC) is the largest gathering of cardiovascular and healthcare professionals in Canada, co-hosted annually by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Held in Ottawa from October 15-17, 2026, the Congress brings together top cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurse leaders, researchers, and allied healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally to present groundbreaking clinical research, showcase innovative technologies, and advance quality standards in patient care. Abstracts presented at the conference are published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

About Steriwave® and its Mode of Action

Steriwave nasal photodisinfection is a light-activated antimicrobial therapy designed to rapidly eliminate potentially pathogenic microorganisms in the nose, a major reservoir from which pathogens spread to surgical sites and lower respiratory tracts. Applied by a healthcare professional, the treatment uses a proprietary photosensitising agent activated by red light to produce a rapid antimicrobial effect through oxidative mechanisms. Because the mechanisms act through non-antibiotic oxidative pathways, Steriwave has a low potential for the development of microbial resistance.

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 hospital-acquired infections. Ondine's lead product, Steriwave®, is authorised for nasal decolonisation in Canada and key international markets. In the United States, the technology has been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation and Fast Track status by the FDA. Ondine recently announced positive topline results from its 5,188-patient Phase 3 LANTERN trial, meeting its prespecified primary efficacy endpoint.

U.S. Regulatory Status

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

1.   Kang N, Charlebois A, Hogan C, Masters R, Neilipovitz K, Al-Atassi T, Boodhwani M, Chan V, Clarizia N, Guo M, Issa H, Lam BK, Ruel M, Toeg H, Taljaard M, Voisine P, Rubens FD. Nasal Photodisinfection and Surgical Site Infection Following Cardiac Surgery: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis. Can J Cardiol. 2026;42 (Suppl):S21-S22. Abstract P027. doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2026.07.035.

2.   Neilipovitz K, Jordison E, Szabadi A, Woolfrey A, Rubens FD. Leading with Kindness: Impacting Compliance of a Nurse-Led Nasal Photodisinfection Initiative to Reduce Conduit Infection Rates. Can J Cardiol. 2026; Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC Abstract). 

3.   Ondine Biomedical Inc. Topline Results from the 5,188-Patient LANTERN Study Demonstrating a 40.5% Relative Reduction in 30-Day Surgical Site Infections. RNS / Regulatory News Service; September 1, 2026.