Invion Limited announced the first in vitro test results on Photosoft that were undertaken by the Australian Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Ecology (ACARE), University of Adelaide, in partnership with Invion. The studies tested activity of PhotosoftTM compounds across a range of pathogens and found the following: Five of the seven PhotosoftTM compounds tested against two strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria displayed antimicrobial activity. MRSA is described as a "superbug" as the bacteria is resistant to several antibiotics and is difficult to treat.

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls antimicrobial resistance "one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity" and cites the misuse and overuse of antibiotics as the main drivers in the development of drug-resistant pathogens1. ACARE also found that the same five compounds mentioned above were very active against two Candida albicans strains (a type of yeast that causes fungal infections) strains on exposure to a specific wavelength (660nm) of light. Candida albicans normally lives on skin and in bodies without problem.

But it can cause vaginal candidiasis and infections in the bloodstream and internal organs if it grows out of control or enters deep into the body. The global yeast infection treatment market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1% to hit USD 6.23 billion by 2029 and Candida accounts for the large pathogen segment in this market. Further, the PhotosoftTM compounds tested showed potential to be used against Escherichia coli.

E. coli bacteria, which can be found in the intestines of healthy people and are mostly harmless. But some pathogenic strains can cause severe diarrhoea whilst others cause disease outside the gut such as wound and urinary tract infections as well as blood poisoning.