Omnix Medical Launches New Horizon Europe PEPTAMR Infectious Disease Consortium
- 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.
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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.
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.
About Horizon Europe
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.
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
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