Israeli Biotech Omnix Medical Wins €8 Million EU Grant to Advance Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Treatment

Israeli biotechnology company Omnix Medical, specializing in treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections, has secured an €8 million grant from the European Union's Horizon Europe program. This funding will enable Omnix to lead a new European consortium named PEPTAMR, accelerating the clinical development of OMN6, a drug targeting severe infections caused by resistant bacteria, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii. The grant comes amid a growing global crisis of antibiotic resistance, recognized by health organizations as a critical public health threat in coming decades.

The PEPTAMR consortium includes research institutions and clinical organizations from Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, and France. Their goal is to advance OMN6 into Phase III clinical trials. Acinetobacter baumannii, especially carbapenem-resistant strains (CRAB), is classified by the World Health Organization as a critical priority pathogen. Infections by this bacterium are common in hospitals and intensive care units and can have mortality rates up to 60%, with very limited current treatment options.

OMN6 is based on antimicrobial peptides inspired by the natural defense mechanisms of insects. Unlike traditional antibiotics, it physically disrupts the bacterial membrane, rapidly destroying bacterial cells and reducing the risk of resistance development. Currently, OMN6 is in Phase II clinical trials for patients with severe A. baumannii infections. The new project will expand patient recruitment across Europe, conduct additional studies for indications such as sepsis, and develop advanced manufacturing capabilities in preparation for commercialization.

Consortium partners include the Medical University of Vienna (Austria), the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece), Ecraid (the European Clinical Research Alliance on Infectious Diseases, Netherlands), and Vivexia (France). Founded in Jerusalem in 2015, Omnix Medical employs 18 people and has previously received approximately $53 million in cumulative research funding from private investors and grants, including from the EU’s EIC Accelerator/Horizon 2020, the US NIH, and Israel’s Innovation Authority.