Current Drug Research for Treatment of Celiac Disease

Currently, the only known treatment for celiac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. There are, however, many drugs in different trial phases that offer some promise.

Alv003: Alv003 is a drug created by Alvine Pharmaceuticals. The drug is a combination of two gluten-specific proteases, which means that the drugs contains enzymes to break down gluten. Although this drug would not allow someone with celiac disease to eat gluten, it may be able to prevent damage from low levels of gluten (i.e. cross contamination) in food.

Larazotide Acetate: Larazotide Acetate is a drug that helps to maintain the tight junctions of intestinal epithelial cells. This is just a fancy way of saying it keeps your gut from becoming “leaky”. As a result, patients with celiac disease may be less sensitive to cross-contamination. Scientists also believe that Larazotide Acetate could be a promising treatment for those with refractory celiac (celiac that does not respond to a gluten free diet). This drug has been very successful in multiple trials, and could be available as soon as 2018.

BL-7010: This drug is in a fairly early stage of development and has a different approach: this drug binds to gluten protein and keeps it from being digested at all. This binding essentially “hides” gluten from the patient, thereby preventing an immune response. If all goes as planned, BL-7010 will move into the second phase of trials (out of four) later this year.

AMG 714: This drug is intended for patients with refractory celiac disease, and is an antibody which will bind to a molecule called IL-15. IL-15 is a signaling molecule that increases inflammation. When an antibody binds to it, however, it keeps the signaling molecule from working, and therefore prevents some inflammation. This drug is also in the early stages of development.

Sources:

Alv003:  http://www.alvinepharma.com/alv003/

Larazotide Acetate: http://www.innovatebiopharma.com/inn-202.html and https://celiac.org/blog/2015/06/promising-results-for-celiac-disease-pipeline-drug/

BL-7010: http://www.biolinerx.com/default.asp?pageid=13&itemid=34

AMG 714: http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/celimmune-licenses-amgen-s-amg-714-for-celiac-disease/81250980/