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Is a Vaccine for Celiac Disease Just Around the Corner?
- By Jefferson Adams
- Published 03/30/2012
- Celiac Disease Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment (Gluten-Free Diet)
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Jefferson Adams
Jefferson Adams is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. His poems, essays and photographs have appeared in Antioch Review, Blue Mesa Review, CALIBAN, Hayden's Ferry Review, Huffington Post, the Mississippi Review, and Slate among others.
View all articles by Jefferson Adams
Other companies are working on vaccines for celiac disease, and several working trials are underway. However, this new drug's creator, ImmusanT, based in Cambridge says that, unlike other vaccines, which prevent an infection, their drug, Nexvax2 works by changing the immune system so it no longer attacks gluten. Production on Nexvax2, began last week, Steven G. Richter, Microtest’s president and science director, told a local reporter. So far, ImmusanT has raised $20 million in investor capital to bring the vaccine to market.
Regarding the path from concept to manufacturing for Nexvax2, Richter says that the process has been anything but straightforward. "It's arty process," he told a local reporter, "you have to develop protocols for all the manufacturing and plans to do all of the work aseptically. You have to get all those protocols and plans approved through the regulatory process. Then you have to do the work.”
Microtest is initially manufacturing 9,000 vials for ImmusanT: two 3,000-dose batches of vaccine and a 3,000-dose batch of inert placebo to be used in the clinical trial. Richter says that the control group contains everything except the active vaccine.
ImmusanT is looking to start the first clinical trials in the second quarter of this year by testing the doses on people with celiac disease. The full article, in Massliveonline.com quotes Leslie J. Williams, president and CEO of ImmusanT, as saying that “The test will be if it [the vaccine] induces a tolerance for gluten in the diet."
The report says that Williams and the company hope to get the vaccine commercially available by 2017. Will the company succeed? Will they have a successful vaccine available in just five short years? Let us know what you think.
As always, Celiac.com welcomes your comments (see below).
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32 Responses to "Is a Vaccine for Celiac Disease Just Around the Corner?"
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said this on
30 Mar 2012 2:55:50 PM PDT As much as they like to call these vaccines, their own site's explanation begins with calling it "one of an emerging class of therapeutic vaccines based on the same principles as traditional desensitization therapy for allergic conditions using whole proteins"
People get way too excited about a celiac "vaccine" while the term itself doesn't even strictly fit what the companies are doing. |
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31 Mar 2012 12:47:49 PM PDT This is unbelievable, do you guys think this is going to happen? I'm excited for this, I'll be doing research on this everyday if I have to. I doubt it will happen but reading this gave me hope.
I would just donate my body to test all of these things to find a cure for celiac disease. I wish I was one of the people tested. Hopefully in the future there will be a cure for all of us.. give it your best Microtest Laboratories. |
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02 Apr 2012 9:54:33 AM PDT I hope this research goes well. The bread, crackers and pizza I can live without. But I would really like to be able to drink a good IPA again. The sorghum beers are horrible. I am quickly growing tired of ciders. I would definitely pay for this treatment if it works.
I have also contacted ImmusanT about participation in the clinical trials. |
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02 Apr 2012 12:07:10 PM PDT I have celiac. That would be wonderful. I have gained weight and there is no explanation.
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02 Apr 2012 12:47:28 PM PDT Good Article. " It works by changing the immune system so it no longer attacks gluten". My Question is, " What will be the side effects of this turning off the body's ability to fight Gluten?" Will there still be destruction some place else and maybe worse? So, many times a pill is created to help one thing only to find out that it created another problem some place else in the body. Frankly, I am worried.
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12 Jul 2012 8:09:49 AM PDT Absolutely agree with you, Cathi. There is always a problem and side effects with ANY drug! My question is this: WHAT ELSE will be shut off? Will we be even MORE susceptible to other illnesses? I am worried as well!
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said this on
02 Apr 2012 2:15:04 PM PDT Can't wait to hear more about the progress made on this vaccine....it sounds very promising!
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said this on
02 Apr 2012 5:00:51 PM PDT I would like to be involved in a study for this immunization.
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02 Apr 2012 7:41:59 PM PDT I posted a link to this article on a celiac facebook page I belong to and the initial response was very positive. Several people want to volunteer for the trials, for the sake of their children. There was some controversy about how they are actually doing the clinical trials knowing that there is a possibility your are 'poisoning' yourself by eating gluten while on the vaccine (which may be a placebo). Curious as to how the drug companies are handling the testing with an oath of not to cause harm.
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25 Jul 2012 8:37:29 AM PDT I'm thrilled with the possibility of this coming to market. I agree that the introduction of a new treatment may include the potential for side effects. However, with the advancements in genetics, it's likely that the "vaccine" would target only the reaction to gluten. It will be interesting to read further about the science behind the process. In reference to the question about the oath to do no harm, just to share, that oath was originally made to various Greek gods and has been adapted over the years to include various terms including "keeping the best interest of the patient". In that regard, some may choose to say that a small group who volunteers for the clinical trial in order to ensure that millions of others can be protected, is a form of keeping the best interest of the patient. I would volunteer in order to allow my two children to have the option to avoid cross contamination even while maintaining a gluten-free diet. Kudos to the researchers and company! Fear not, we will pay for the “vaccine”. If you want to boost shareholders' value you can start a waiting list for the “vaccine” to show the investors the level of interest. (I want to ensure funding stays strong on the project!) You could also consider expanding the waiting list by offerring a referral credit. I’d advise lobbying insurance companies now so it will be covered sooner. Speak their language, show them the costs avoidance that would result from the treatment of related complications such as Type 1 Diabetes and other autoimmune diseases that often follow the development of celiac disease.
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02 Apr 2012 8:04:07 PM PDT That would be great. Hope it works.
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02 Apr 2012 8:51:12 PM PDT I think I'll pass and keep the celiac disease.
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02 Apr 2012 9:03:54 PM PDT I'm 61, diagnosed last summer, after so many doctors for min 30 years that something is very wrong medically with me, my "no results, it's all in your head," or better one "why do you want to be sick, enjoy life?" 5 years sounds great, although I wish it can be sooner. Wishing you all the best, it's not easy, today I got my results from, hemocode nutrition test, so little dood to eat, until last summer I didn't know that any of this exist, celiac is serious disease especially is discovered so late.
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03 Apr 2012 11:18:18 AM PDT This is what all celiacs have been waiting for, and I am sure I am not alone in wishing the company success.Although it sounds too good to be true, let us remain optimistic. If the drug does become available in 5 years in the US, we in Canada will likely not be allowed to access it for several years after that! Too bad the company does not have a partner on this side of the border!
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03 Apr 2012 12:11:12 PM PDT My thought on this is that we may want to look at the root of the problem - why are people having reactions to gluten? Is it due to the genetic modification of grains or other similar possibilities? If so, I don't think a vaccination may be the best solution. I really feel for those with this problem, as I have an intolarance (not Celiac) so I can relate, but sometimes drugs and quick fixes may not be the best solution. It seems as if there is a lot of research going on to find a drug or vaccine for cancer and other chronic illnesses, but what about stepping back and looking at all of the fake food and other artficial substances we put in our bodies. Everyone wants a quick fix to their problems and I don't know if this is the right perspective.
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05 Apr 2012 3:58:10 AM PDT I agree with you re fake food/artificial substance that goes into bodies daily. A vaccination is just more chemicals going into our bodies. If you have celiac than you must have other allergies too, at least I do and so do all the others with celiac that I know. This is a genetic problem, or so they say, so how do they determine who gets the vaccine and when? Why would anyone want to put more artificial ingredients into their bodies not really knowing what side effects will occur 5-10 years down the road? I suffered long enough before being diagnosed and the last thing I want to do is to take a chance of poisoning myself. All natural food is good enough for me!
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04 Apr 2012 5:09:53 PM PDT Thanks but no thanks. I'll remain a celiac and continue to eat healthy. While trying to fix one problem, some will end up with far worse problems.
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08 Apr 2012 7:02:23 PM PDT Totally agree with vhill seems like a ploy to poison people with GMO foods that come up with a supposed "cure". Eat healthy whole foods this is not a curse its a wake up call to be healthy if you didn't have celiac you'd probably be eating processed crap.
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10 Apr 2012 2:03:06 PM PDT This would be great. I am very happy to follow a Gluten free diet forever as I am happy with the food that I can create at home. However the thing that makes it hard is getting ill from the tiniest bit of cross contamination from a restaurant or a food that doesn't list gluten in the ingredients. A vaccine like this would make it easier to eat out and go on vacation.
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17 Apr 2012 10:51:47 AM PDT Suzanne, I totally agree with you. It's the littlest things that make us sick and we never know where it came from. Yes real pizza and bread would be great. But to not get sick from cross contamination. I would go for that.
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09 May 2012 3:10:29 PM PDT I agree. Gluten free foods may be the best we can do. How will this 'vaccination' help us not be allergic to gluten?
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said this on
14 May 2012 5:51:08 PM PDT Stupid idea! Just another way to make more money off of people.
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12 Jun 2012 2:43:13 PM PDT I think it's a great idea! I would be willing to let them make money off of me if it works.
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14 Jun 2012 1:50:49 PM PDT I hope this works. I miss Twizzlers...
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22 Sep 2012 8:58:35 AM PDT I think this is wonderful. I would take this in an instant over the headache of eating gluten-free all the time. I cannot stand having to be so cautious. Life is so much more than food and having to think so much about how to eat "safe" is something I would love to be cured of.
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27 Sep 2012 7:28:52 AM PDT My son was just diagonosied with Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease in the same month. He's only 8 years old. It breaks my heart every day for what I have to do to him just to keep him healthy... My husband and I wish this or something comes in his lifetime so he can have a life like he knew for the first 8 years of his life. I'm very excited to see what comes in the future. Thanks for all the research...
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said this on
14 Oct 2012 1:01:54 PM PDT The food we eat is due to social arrangements, thus I see coeliac disease as caused by the fact western diets choose to shove gluten in everything. It is similar to the social model of disability. I personally am happy to stick to eating healthy gluten free foods and not to risk taking vaccines for which no one knows the long term effects.
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21 Dec 2012 3:46:03 AM PDT I'm pleased, and seriously hope this vaccination does make it; I have a 4 year old nephew with celiac disease, and it's heartbreaking seeing him not eat normal food like the rest do.
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07 Mar 2013 1:25:28 PM PDT I hope this happens! I want to know how and where I can get this. I suffer with this as well as thyroid problems and to cure my celiac disease would mean the world to me.
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19 Mar 2013 2:27:34 AM PDT What is wrong with all the whiners saying it wont work and that they'd rather stay eating gluten-free only? Let's be honest: we'd all much rather eats a nice piece of bread as part of our sandwiches over a dry crumbly thing that just falls apart. Be positive!
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