A novel class of antibiotics to combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Projektbeschreibung

Neue Antibiotika auf Peptid-Basis gegen arzneimittelresistente Bakterienarten

Das in Israel ansässige Unternehmen Omnix Medical entwickelt neuartige Antibiotika zur Behandlung von Infektionen, die von arzneimittelresistenten Bakterienarten verursacht werden. Die unternehmenseigene Plattformtechnologie wandelt die biologische Abbaubarkeit antimikrobieller Peptide ab, um eine neue Klasse Antibiotika mit einem einzigartigen Wirkmechanismus zu erschaffen, der ungeachtet zugrundeliegender Resistenzmuster greift. Das Ziel des EU-finanzierten Projekts OMN6 besteht darin, die klinische Sicherheit und Wirksamkeit der Behandlung tödlicher nosokomialer Infektionen mit Acinetobacter baumannii nachzuweisen. Zu diesem Zweck wird es Omnix Medical bei der Kommerzialisierung von dessen Haupt-Antibiotikumkandidaten unterstützen, der bereits die Konzeptnachweisphase durchlaufen hat.

Ziel

We are in living in times where the efficacy of antibiotics is no longer guaranteed. Despite the urgent need to mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), very few antibiotics are being developed. AMR management costs €1.5 B and causes 33,000 deaths each year in the EU.
We at Omnix are determined to change lives and repopulate drug development pipelines by demonstrating clinical efficacy of a novel class of antibiotics. We have made potent antimicrobial peptides found in nature druggable, by hampering their biodegradability using our proprietary platform technology. The results are highly selective, life-saving therapies which are safe to humans. These bioengineered peptides constitute a new class of antibiotics due to their unique mechanism of action, which remains effective regardless of underlying resistance patterns.
We intend to solve the most urgent clinical need in infectious disease management by targeting drug resistant pathogens topping the WHO’s priority list. The project will demonstrate clinical safety and efficacy in treating A. baunmannii infections. This top-most critical pathogen exerts a mortality rate of ~40%. We have already successfully established a preclinical proof of concept for our lead candidate. Commercialisation is planned to take place with a partner from the pharma sector. The deal size is predicted to be €150-250 and conservative estimates on sales forecast revenues around €50 M five years after launch. Revenues will be reinvested into developing antibiotics for other critical pathogens and into scaling Omnix to over 150 employees.
Our approach has the potential to make a significant impact on the global AMR challenge, as we base our drug design on peptides that have remained effective for millions of years, demonstrating a low risk of trigger emergence of new resistance. Treating infections with such potent natural defenses will constitute a true paradigm shift in infections disease management.