Obulytix showcases innovative antibacterial research at IHI Forum 2026
Obulytix participated in the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Forum 2026, held on 20–21 October in Brussels, Belgium. Representing Obulytix, Lucia Grassi presented research conducted within the END2AMR project, highlighting the potential of Precision Lysin Therapeutics (PLTs) to address the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Bringing healthcare innovation closer to patients
Under the theme “Translating research into long-term impact”, the IHI Forum 2026 brought together researchers, industry representatives, policymakers and healthcare innovators to discuss how collaborative research can accelerate the development of innovative healthcare solutions.
The event provided an opportunity to exchange scientific knowledge, explore emerging technologies and discuss the role of public-private partnerships in addressing some of today's most pressing healthcare challenges.
For Obulytix, participation in the Forum was an opportunity to share its contribution to the END2AMR project and engage with the wider European healthcare innovation community.
Advancing Precision Lysin Therapeutics within END2AMR
As part of the scientific poster presentations, Lucia Grassi presented research entitled:
“Improved candidate selection through wound-relevant evaluation of Precision Lysin Therapeutics.”
Within END2AMR, Obulytix is leveraging its discovery platform to identify and optimize PLT candidates with strong antibacterial activity under conditions that more closely resemble those encountered in actual wound infections.
Antimicrobial resistance remains a major global healthcare challenge, with increasing resistance to existing antibiotics and a limited pipeline of innovative treatment options.
PLTs, based on engineered bacteriophage-derived lysins, represent a promising alternative antibacterial approach. These molecules offer a distinct mode of action and the potential to target resistant bacterial pathogens.
Improving candidate selection through clinically relevant testing
A central focus of the research presented at the IHI Forum was the importance of evaluating antibacterial candidates under conditions that better reflect their intended clinical application.
The work presented by Lucia highlighted several important research activities:
Selection of clinically relevant bacterial strains: establishing a diverse panel of 45 clinical isolates representing three priority Gram-negative pathogens associated with wound and skin infections.
Development of wound-relevant testing conditions: systematically optimizing host and environmental parameters to create a medium that better mimics the wound environment.
Comparative evaluation of PLT candidates: assessing antibacterial activity under wound-relevant conditions to support the prioritization of promising therapeutic candidates.
These activities aim to strengthen the connection between early discovery and preclinical development, supporting more informed decisions on which antibacterial candidates should advance through the development pipeline.
The importance of collaboration in tackling antimicrobial resistance
The END2AMR project brings together complementary expertise from biotechnology companies, academic institutions, research organizations and pharmaceutical industry partners. The consortium aims to accelerate the development of new therapeutic approaches against antimicrobial-resistant infections.
The IHI Forum provided an opportunity to highlight these collaborative efforts and reinforce the importance of bringing together different perspectives and capabilities to address complex healthcare challenges.
From scientific discovery to meaningful healthcare impact
The IHI Forum 2026 emphasized that successful healthcare innovation requires more than scientific breakthroughs alone. Translating promising discoveries into solutions that can ultimately benefit patients depends on effective collaboration, clinically relevant research and a clear understanding of development challenges.
For Obulytix, these principles are central to its mission of developing innovative antibacterial therapies against multidrug-resistant infections.
We are proud of Lucia's contribution to the Forum and the ongoing efforts of our research team and END2AMR partners to advance the development of much-needed antibacterial treatments.
Learn more about END2AMR: https://end2amr.org/
Learn more about the Innovative Health Initiative: https://www.ihi.europa.eu/
Funding acknowledgement
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253465. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bio, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe.
Disclaimer
Funded by the European Union, the private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.