• The review emphasizes the largely unstudied role of the intestinal brush border in protein digestion and its susceptibility to inflammatory damage in celiac disease.
  • The publication explores the possible advantages of supplementing brush border exopeptidase activity for individuals with celiac disease.

Basel, Switzerland, February 25, 2025 – AMYRA, a company focused on innovative digestive health solutions, has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed review in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. The review consolidates existing knowledge about enzyme therapies that digest gluten for celiac disease, highlighting the potential of exopeptidase supplementation as a new treatment strategy.

The review indicates that current enzyme treatments mainly use gastric endopeptidases to digest gluten. This method may be limited due to insufficient enzyme-to-substrate contact within the stomach. Additionally, endopeptidases break down proteins into smaller pieces but don’t consistently break them down into absorbable components. The review also points out the crucial, yet relatively unexamined, role of the intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) in digestion, along with its vulnerability to chronic inflammation as seen in celiac disease. The BBM is essential for both protein digestion and nutrient absorption. It serves as the main source of exopeptidases, which are enzymes that systematically break down protein fragments from beginning to end, creating absorbable amino acids within the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the damage to the intestinal BBM and the recognized loss of exopeptidase activity in celiac disease, few treatments have taken advantage of supplementing these enzymes in patients.

“Research has demonstrated that brush border enzyme activity remains diminished even in patients adhering to a long-term gluten-free diet. This persistent deficiency could have significant and lasting effects on a patient’s nutrition and overall well-being,” stated Erin Bonner, PhD, the lead author of the publication and Senior Scientist at AMYRA Biotech.

AMYRA is tackling this often-ignored aspect of digestive disorders with its Brush Border Enzyme Supplementation Technology (“BBEST”). AMYRA’s primary product features a blend of exopeptidases designed to work with the body’s natural digestive processes to bolster, improve, or even substitute for the exopeptidase activity of the brush border membrane.

“It is probable that factors like ongoing gut inflammation, villous atrophy, and tissue damage can impair brush border enzyme activity in conditions beyond celiac disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease,” said Sulay Mourabit, PhD, the study’s senior author and Chief Scientific Officer at AMYRA. “Our BBEST pipeline is expanding to address enzyme deficiencies across various GI conditions, and we are enthusiastic about the potential of this novel therapeutic method to support enterocyte function.”

AMYRA is investigating broader applications of its BBEST platform for digestion, not only for gastrointestinal illnesses but also for overall health and nutrition. To help move these research efforts forward, AMYRA is forming an interdisciplinary collaborative network to further study the effects of enterocyte dysfunction and brush border membrane enzyme deficiencies.

For more information about AMYRA Biotech and its latest publication, please visit or contact Sulayman Mourabit, Ph.D.

About AMYRA Biotech

AMYRA Biotech AG is a leading company in developing innovative solutions that support and improve the digestive functions of enzymes lining the small intestine. AMYRA’s Brush Border Enzyme Supplementation Technology (BBEST) pipeline is aimed at general health and nutrition, food sensitivities, and gastrointestinal diseases. The flagship product in AMYRA’s BBEST pipeline, AMYNOPEP01, represents the first synergistic combination of exopeptidases. These enzymes are specifically engineered to completely digest protein fragments into amino acids that the body can easily absorb.

AMYRA is located in Basel, Switzerland. For more information, please visit www.amyra.com.

Contact:
Sulayman Mourabit, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
AMYRA Biotech AG

Media Inquiries:
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Dr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina Buth
Managing Partners      

Tel. +49 40 88 16 59 64 /
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