OxThera AB announced has been granted two new US patents and one new Australian patent during the last year. OxThera holds proprietary rights to pharmaceutical preparations and their use for treatment of hyperoxaluria in eight patent families. The newly granted US patents have numbers 8,486,389 and 8,545,836. The new Australian patent has number 2006326016.

”These patents will secure the pharmaceutical composition and the method for treating and preventing oxalate-related disease with micro-organisms and enzymes and further strengthen the company’s patent estate and worldwide rights for the treatment of hyperoxaluria. The US rights are important additions to our already granted patents in Europe and the US. Additionally, our lead product Oxabact is currently in a phase 2 trial and results of this clinical study are expected to be available this autumn” said Elisabeth Lindner, CEO of OxThera.

Oxabact is an oral product composed of highly concentrated live bacteria (Oxalobacter formigenes). The drug is designed for delivery in the small intestine, where enteric elimination of endogenous oxalate is initiated. OxThera is currently pursuing a complete Oxabact clinical development program in the EU and in the US for the treatment of patients suffering from primary hyperoxaluria.

Oxazyme is an oral enzyme administered as an enterically-coated granulate. The product is designed to break down dietary oxalate in the upper GI tract. The product is developed to treat hyperoxaluria and kidney stones caused by excess intake of dietary oxalate.

Primary hyperoxaluria is a rare inborn autosomal genetic disorder leading to markedly elevated levels of endogenous oxalate in plasma and urine. High levels of urinary oxalate cause kidney damage, including recurrent kidney stone formation and/or calcification of the kidney.

Secondary hyperoxaluria is resulting from excess intake or malabsorption of oxalate. The prevalence is increasing dramatically in US, Europe and Asia, and the disorder may cause recurrent kidney stones. An estimated four million people only in the U.S. suffer from kidney stone disease.

Oxabact holds orphan drug designations in the EU and the US for the treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria.

OxThera holds worldwide rights for compositions and methods of use for treatment of hyperoxaluria. OxThera currently has two products in its pipeline: Oxabact for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, and Oxazyme, for the prevention of oxalate malabsorption and recurring kidney stones in secondary hyperoxaluria.