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BioTech

Umeå’s Omnio Raises €2.9M to Advance Chronic Wound Therapy Toward Clinical Trials

BioTech Funding: Umeå's Omnio Raises €2.9M to Advance Chronic Wound Therapy Toward Clinical Trials

Swedish biotech company Omnio AB has raised an oversubscribed round of €2.9 million ($3.3M) from existing investors and shareholders to advance its plasminogen-based therapy for hard-to-heal chronic wounds toward clinical studies. The new funding follows a €4.3 million financing round completed in spring 2025 and will support key development activities ahead of clinical trial applications.

The Technology

Founded on research by Tor Ny, Professor Emeritus of Medical Biochemistry at Umeå University, Omnio is developing a plasminogen-based biologic therapy for chronic wounds. The company’s lead indication is diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), a condition in which wounds can be difficult to heal, with limited effective treatment options.

Felipe Velasquez, CEO of Omnio, explained what sets the approach apart: “The wound healing market is mostly a medical devices market, but nothing has really moved the needle in hard-to-heal wounds. We are not developing another medical device. We are developing a biologic therapy that addresses the biology of wound healing and the root cause of why these wounds stay open.”

The Problem

More than half a billion people worldwide live with diabetes, and up to one-third will develop a foot ulcer during their lifetime. These wounds can become chronic and devastating, severely impacting mobility, quality of life, and productivity, while putting patients at risk of amputation. For healthcare systems, the burden is equally significant, with advanced-stage diabetic foot ulcers costing an estimated €50,000 per wound episode.

Velasquez commented on the round: “This financing demonstrates our continuous progress and strong confidence from our current investors. Their support allows us to continue the development and puts us in a stronger position ahead of our next financing round for clinical studies.”

Preparing for Clinical Studies

The company has established its master cell bank and is now scaling up manufacturing in preparation for a GMP batch that will be used in toxicology studies — a requirement before submitting applications to begin clinical trials. Development has progressed according to plan since the spring 2025 financing round.

The clinical study program will begin with a Phase I/IIa safety and early-efficacy study in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. “Our ambition is to move into patient studies during 2027,” says Velasquez. “We are already evaluating CROs, investigators and trial countries across Europe to support the launch of the clinical program.”

Broader Potential

While diabetic foot ulcers remain the primary focus, Omnio sees broader potential for its plasminogen platform across multiple chronic wound indications in multi-billion-euro markets, including venous leg ulcers (VLU), burns, tympanic membrane perforations, infection, and periodontitis.

Headquartered in Umeå, Sweden, Omnio’s R&D operations and scientific team continue to drive the advancement of the plasminogen platform, while clinical operations and quality functions are coordinated from Copenhagen and Barcelona.

What’s Next

Omnio plans to open its next financing round in Q1 2027 to fund clinical development through first efficacy data. “We are structuring the next financing round around key development milestones as we prepare to enter clinical studies,” Velasquez says.

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