Faces of Technology
Degrading Oxalate for
Digestive Health
Born and raised in Sweden, Captozyme Chief
Operating Oficer Helena Cowley always knew
she wanted to pursue a career in science. But
it wasn’t until an internship with a research
company in Alachua, Florida, that Cowley
discovered her speciic interest in oxalate
research. It was also in Alachua where she
discovered the love of her life.
“I have the luxury to have found my soul
mate, who also shares my drive and passion,”
said Cowley, referring to her husband and
Captozyme co-founder, Aaron Cowley, Ph.D.
Together, the Cowleys and an inspiring team
of Captozyme scientists in Gainesville are
developing therapeutic enzymes to remove
oxalate from the body.
A naturally occurring substance, oxalate is
prevalent in plant foods such as spinach, but
it serves very little purpose. In fact, oxalate is
an anti-nutrient that blocks the absorption of
calcium. It’s also the culprit of kidney stones
and primary hyperoxaluria (PH), a rare disease
that causes excessive accumulation of oxalate
in the body. No satisfactory preventative
treatments for these conditions currently exist –
a fact Cowley and her team are determined
to change.
With 12 employees Cowley describes as
“hard workers who burn the midnight oil” and
a product ready for the commercialization
process, Captozyme is it for success. Its
proprietary enzymes can break down oxalate
in the stomach into safe byproducts. Cowley
describes the product like a sugar packet,
which contains the oxalate-degrading enzyme
in a powder form that can be sprinkled
on food or mixed in a drink. Eventually,
Captozyme will develop different forms of the
enzyme, such as a mint or a liquid, to meet the
needs of a wide variety of consumers.
Part of Captozyme’s work moving forward will
also focus on developing therapies for oxalate
conditions and educating the public about
Helena Cowley
Chief Operating Oficer (COO)
Captozyme | www.captozyme.com
Education: M.S., Bioengineering, Chalmers University
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
Company: Captozyme is a biotechnology startup that develops
oxalate-degrading enzymes for food. The company started
out with two founders in 2009 and currently employs 12
employees in its labs at the Innovation Hub in Gainesville
and Alachua.
the beneits of a healthy, oxalate-reduced diet. In general, according to Cowley,
there’s no reason to consume oxalate, as it has the potential to do more harm
than good.
Considering nearly one in every 10 people will experience a kidney stone in their
lifetime, Cowley is excited about the prospect of making a difference for such a
large population. While she’s still involved in the research and developmen ق