Alnara

Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Co-founded in 2008 by Alexey Margolin, Rich Aldrich, and Christoph Westphal, Alnara's innovative approach focused on designing effective protein therapies that could be orally delivered directly to the gastrointestinal tract without systemic absorption. The company's lead product, liprotamase, was a non-porcine pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) associated with cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis, which completed Phase 3 clinical trials. Alnara was backed by Third Rock Ventures, Frazier Healthcare, MPM Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Longwood Founders Fund, and was acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in 2010.