Tackling Kidney Diseases with Orally-Delivered Enzymes

Pediatric and primary hyperoxaluria is a rare genetic condition that causes over absorption of oxalate, a compound found in many foods. Too much oxalate can lead to the formation of kidney stones and cause progressive damage of the kidneys. Allena Pharmaceuticals is developing an oral enzyme to treat both the rare form of hyperoxaluria and a more common form of the condition. We spoke to Louis Brenner, CEO of Allena, about the company’s experimental therapy to treat hyperoxaluria, its platform for delivering enzymes orally, and the potential to apply the technology beyond kidney diseases.