- EUR ~8M grant supports the late-stage clinical development of Omnix’s antimicrobial OMN6
- Leading European partners join forces to advance OMN6 for the treatment of life-threatening hospital-acquired infections
JERUSALEM, Israel, July 13, 2026 -- Omnix Medical, a biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation anti-infectives for the treatment of life-threatening infections, today announced the launch of the PEPTAMR consortium, bringing together leading European clinical, scientific, and academic partners to accelerate the late-stage clinical development of OMN6, its lead antimicrobial peptide targeting resistant hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), including carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), a WHO critical-priority pathogen associated with mortality rates of up to 60% and severely limited treatment options.
The PEPTAMR consortium has been awarded a EUR ~8M grant
under the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Program “Boosting the translation of biotech
research into innovative health therapies - HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01”. The consortium’s goal is to advance
the PEPTAMR project, titled "Biomimetic antimicrobial peptide inspired by
insects to combat multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii."
The new consortium brings together leading European
expertise across infectious diseases, translational science, regulatory science
and multinational clinical research. By combining these complementary
capabilities within a single program, the consortium aims to efficiently advance
OMN6 through late-stage clinical development and achieve regulatory readiness
for Phase III. OMN6 is currently being evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial enrolling
patients with severe Acinetobacter baumannii infections.
Consortium partners include: • Omnix Medical (Israel) – Project coordinator • Medical University of Vienna (Austria) • National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) • Ecraid - European Clinical Research Alliance
on Infectious Diseases (The Netherlands) • Vivexia (France)
Planned activities include accelerated Phase II patient
recruitment across Europe, complementary PK/PD studies, infection models to
optimize dosing and evaluate additional indications such as sepsis, a lung
penetration study in healthy volunteers, and development of a stable, scalable
GMP-ready formulation to support late-stage clinical development.
“This is the second time Omnix’s OMN6 program has been funded
by a HORIZON grant, underscoring the critical importance of our molecule as the
novel first-line treatment for life-threatening infections” said Dr. Moshik
Cohen-Kutner, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Omnix Medical. “PEPTAMR
enables us to combine the strengths of experienced European partners and ultimately
shorten time-to-market for OMN6.”
“We are proud to lead a multidisciplinary European
consortium dedicated to bringing innovative therapies to patients with
life-threatening multidrug-resistant infections. PEPTAMR is designed to support Europe's broader efforts to
combat antimicrobial resistance,” added Dr. Niv Bachnoff, Co-founder and Chief
Scientific Officer of Omnix Medical. "Successful development of OMN6 will have
a significant impact, as A. baumannii infections are associated with
healthcare costs running into billions of euros annually across Europe."
"The ambitious PEPTAMR consortium offers a promising
new approach to tackling multidrug-resistant infections. By bringing
together scientific, clinical and industry expertise from across Europe, we
have the opportunity to turn evidence into meaningful outcomes for patients, healthcare
systems, and public health,” said Ecraid’s Senior Communications Officer,
Adelina Prioteasa. “Breakthroughs in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
can only make a difference if they are seen, understood, and adopted. Ecraid is
proud to bring its expertise to the PEPTAMR consortium. We aim to ensure that
the project’s results and progress are widely shared with the scientific and
healthcare communities, and that they deliver a lasting impact on the fight
against antimicrobial resistance,” she added.
OMN6 is a first-in-class, fast-acting antimicrobial peptide
(AMP) with a novel mechanism of action designed to physically destroy bacterial
cell membranes. The compound targets multidrug-resistant Gram-negative
pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
(CRAB), and is based on naturally occurring insect-derived antimicrobial
peptides. OMN6 addresses severe infections with high unmet medical need and
limited treatment options.
About Omnix Medical Omnix Medical was founded in 2015 to tackle the global
crisis of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Since then, the Company has been
awarded a competitive EIC Accelerator / Horizon 2020 grant from the European
Union, supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and received
research funding from the Israeli Innovation Authority to advance its lead
program OMN6.
About Horizon Europe
Corporate Contacts Moshik Cohen-Kutner, CEO +972-2-5320871 Niv Bachnoff, CSO +972-2-5320870 contact@omnixmedical.com Media Inquiries akampion Ines-Regina Buth info@akampion.com Tel. +49 30 23 63 27 68 Related Links http://www.omnixmedical.com/ LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/company/omnix-medical
Omnix’s technology is based on engineered antimicrobial peptides designed for
high selectivity toward bacterial membranes while avoiding resistance. OMN6
binds specifically to the unique lipid composition of bacterial membranes and
rapidly forms pores that destabilize and destroy them, leading to swift
bacterial death. Its unique, rapid mechanism of action, engineered stability,
and ability to avoid enzymatic degradation enable short treatment durations and
minimize the risk of resistance development.
Horizon Europe is the European Union’s key funding program for research and
innovation, with a budget of €93.5 billion for the period 2021–2027. Its health
program is the EU’s flagship research and innovation initiative for
collaborative health projects, supporting the development of innovative
diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical technologies. It strengthens healthcare
systems, helps translate scientific excellence into real-world impact and supports
and implements EU policies while addressing global challenges. Horizon Europe
supports the creation and dissemination of excellent knowledge and technologies
and contributes to jobs, economic growth, and a stronger European Research
Area.