OMEICOS Therapeutics Secures €17 Million Series C Financing to Advance OMT-28 into Phase 2 Trials for Atrial Fibrillation and Expand into Ophthalmology

Recently, VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that OMEICOS Therapeutics GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Berlin, Germany, has recently completed its Series C financing round, raising €17 million.

This round of financing, amounting to €12.5 million, was led by Forbion’s newly launched Forbion IV Fund, with additional investments from existing investors. As part of the financing arrangement, Holger Reithinger, General Partner at Forbion, will join the Board of Directors of OMEICOS upon closing of the transaction.

OMEICOS, founded in 2013, is a spin-off company of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) in Berlin, Germany. OMEICOS is developing small-molecule therapies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and ophthalmic diseases, particularly a novel class of biologically active natural metabolites of ω-3 fatty acids: epoxyeicosanoic acids. These compounds possess the ability to activate cellular anti-inflammatory, antiarrhythmic, and cardioprotective mechanisms, enabling them to combat cardiovascular diseases, bronchial disorders, fatty liver disease, and multiple ocular conditions.

In contrast to all other antiarrhythmic drugs, this class of compounds activates endogenous cardioprotective signaling pathways, not only stabilizing cardiac rhythm but also effectively treating organ pathology by preventing electrical and structural remodeling in the diseased heart. However, due to their rapid degradation and highly unstable metabolism, these agents fail to achieve their full therapeutic potential. Furthermore, their formation and activity vary with individual genetic profiles and disease states, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Image from the official Unsplash website

OMT-28 is a novel, safe rhythm-stabilizing agent developed by the company for patients with atrial fibrillation, aiming to evaluate its efficacy in maintaining sinus rhythm after electrical cardioversion in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia, affecting approximately 33.5 million people worldwide. With increasing life expectancy, the incidence of this condition is projected to rise over the next decade.

OMEICOS stated that the proceeds from this financing round will be used to accelerate the Phase II clinical trial of OMT-28, aiming to overcome its limitations. Commenting on the financing, Robert Fischer, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of OMEICOS, said, “Forbion’s investment is a testament to the work of the entire OMEICOS team, and they are also supportive of our programs in atrial fibrillation and other indications.”

Furthermore, OMEICOS will continue to expand its product portfolio into new indications, including ophthalmology. This initiative will be led by its subsidiary, OMEICOS Ophthalmics, which was established in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in 2017.

Forbion Capital Partners is a leading European life sciences venture capital firm headquartered in the Netherlands, focusing on investments in life sciences companies, drug development companies, and medical technology companies. Since the late 1990s, the Forbion investment team has built an impressive track record, currently managing over $5 billion in assets.