Beneficiary: OMEICOS Therapeutics GmbH
Funding: 01.11.2013 bis 30.09.2018, 3.947.811 Euro

Project description

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia. The transmission of electrical signals between cells and muscles is disturbed. Without therapy, patients run the risk of suffering a stroke. Normally, atrial fibrillation is treated with so-called anti-arrhythmic drugs, which are designed to bring the heart back to its sinus rhythm. However, these therapies do not address the cause of the disease and are usually associated with considerable side effects.

About 15 years ago, researchers at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) discovered that a special metabolite of omega-3 fatty acids has a heart protecting effect. Building on this knowledge, the OMEICOS team has developed novel substances that are stable enough for therapeutic use.

As a drug for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, this approach is so far unique: in addition to restoring normal sinus rhythm, it promises to have a healing effect on the underlying structural damage to the heart, without more serious side effects being expected.

OMEICOS Therapeutics GmbH was founded in June 2013 as a spin-off from the MDC. The subprojects funded by the BMBF as part of the Spinnovator programme focus on improving the understanding of the mode of action of substances in the body. The development candidate OMT-28 entered clinical phase I in February 2017. The tolerability of the drug is demonstrated to healthy volunteers. The drug can then be tested in a second phase on patients with atrial fibrillation.