Israeli biotech company Proteimax has developed a peptide discovery platform comprising 54 natural micro-peptides based on more than 20 years of foundational biological research on intracellular peptides that regulate cellular function. The company, which has been active internationally for 7 years, says the platform contains an extensive network of sensors and receptors and is backed by dozens of patents on molecules and production methods.
Peptides are short chains of 2 to 50 amino acids that act as protein building blocks. Proteimax was co-founded by Dr. Andrea S. Heimann, Chief Science Officer, and Prof. Hammar Pró, both biotechnology scientists from Brazil who made aliyah to Israel, along with Dr. Arnon Krongrad, an American physician and scientist, and Nimrod Elmish, the company's CEO.
First Commercial Success: PEP19
Elmish says the medical world now understands that peptides can carry messages and commands that the body can read and understand. "We are talking about 54 building blocks, each responsible for a different aspect of health," he says. PEP19, the company's first peptide, is already commercialized in the United States and Brazil after a series of successful trials, including in humans, and a series of approvals meeting FDA standards that granted it GRAS status and classification as a safe food supplement with no side effects.
The peptide sends "an immediate command to all fat cells," signaling that the body is in an "extreme state" and must use stubborn fat reserves and convert them into an energy source, according to Elmish. He says experiments on mammals at particularly low temperatures, including in ice water, provided insights into the human body and led to extraordinary discoveries. Human trials showed the peptide acts directly on fat cells rather than through brain signaling pathways and can achieve health benefits.
The company saw optimal efficacy through a daily capsule taken before sleep, without changing lifestyle habits, diet, or injections, and without side effects, Elmish says. Controlled clinical trials in humans produced a 17% reduction in abdominal fat, a 23% reduction in insulin resistance, a 6% reduction in HbA1c levels, and a 35% improvement in sleep quality.
Broad Target Market and Global Expansion
Elmish says the peptide can simultaneously combat heart attacks, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and peripheral fat, and that daily use may improve those measures. PEP19 is intended for millions of people who want to improve their metabolic health, including those with excess visceral fat or prediabetes, people who want to support their metabolism as part of a healthy lifestyle, and GLP-1 patients seeking support throughout the process or afterward.
Peptides are considered the next big thing in healthcare outside Israel and are offered in various settings beyond primary care physicians. In the United States, prescriptions for peptides, including GLP-1, can be obtained over the phone by a nurse or a doctor.
Proteimax is expanding its global marketing and distribution efforts alongside the launch of PEP19 in the United States, where it's been marketed in recent months as a dietary supplement. The company is building a network of distribution and marketing partners, as well as partnerships for mass production and raw material refinement. The Brazilian Ministry of Health launched a major trial involving approximately 1,000 people using PEP19 after positive clinical results among patients with chronic hepatic fat, with the goal of optimizing dosing for users with different indications before possible incorporation into the SUS, the Brazilian Unified Health System, as a therapeutic alternative.
Israel Not a Priority
Elmish says Israel isn't a priority for the company at this stage, calling it "a land of impossible restrictions" and saying the Ministry of Health erects bureaucratic walls for years, including the need to obtain kashrut approvals from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The comment reflects broader frustrations among Israeli biotech firms navigating domestic regulatory hurdles while finding easier pathways abroad.
Pipeline: Cancer and Neurological Treatments
The company's broader vision includes remaining peptides expected to reach the market over the coming decade. Elmish says the second peptide, PEP44, is focused on selectively "killing" any rapidly dividing cell in the body and is expected to provide an unprecedented solution for cancer diseases. The third peptide, PEP51, will address neurological diseases and act to restore the central nervous system, which could help treat diseases like Alzheimer's and, in the long term, extend life expectancy by more than 50 years, he says.
Elmish says the company stayed quiet for many years to complete patents and FDA approvals and avoid the spotlight. The company didn't want giant pharmaceutical companies to realize it was presenting a single-capsule solution for a large share of the world's pharmaceutical revenues in the future.
Peptides have become one of the most exciting areas in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in recent years. A discovery of an innovative peptide that has demonstrated significant results in humans is rare and attracts interest from pharmaceutical, dietary supplement, cosmetics, and functional food companies worldwide. The company is at its commercial stage after a total raise of approximately $5.5 million, including $4 million from a Series A round that closed earlier this year.
Why This Matters:
Proteimax's peptide platform represents a strategic opportunity for Israeli biotech innovation to compete in the global metabolic health market, which has exploded with the success of GLP-1 drugs. The company's decision to bypass Israeli regulatory processes in favor of U.S. and Brazilian markets highlights a persistent challenge: domestic bureaucratic barriers that push homegrown innovation abroad. If PEP19's clinical results hold up at scale, the peptide could offer a non-injection alternative to current metabolic interventions, potentially capturing market share among patients seeking simpler regimens. The Brazilian government trial involving 1,000 participants signals serious institutional interest in peptide-based therapies beyond the private market. Meanwhile, the company's pipeline—targeting cancer and neurological diseases—suggests ambitions far beyond metabolic health, positioning Proteimax as a potential major player if its broader peptide discoveries prove commercially viable.