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  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    By Jefferson Adams •

    Can a New Drug Eliminate a Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac Disease Patients?

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    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    A new oral drug for treating celiac disease could allow people with celiac disease to safely consume wheat, eliminating the need for a gluten-free diet. The drug was recently granted status as a new investigational drug (IND) by the FDA.

    Can a New Drug Eliminate a Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac Disease Patients? - Image: CC BY-SA 4.0--Bastet78
    Caption: Image: CC BY-SA 4.0--Bastet78

    Celiac.com 09/09/2019 - A new oral drug for treating celiac disease could allow people with the disease to safely consume wheat, eliminating the need for a gluten-free diet. Capsules of ActoBiotics AG017 from ActoBio Therapeutics were recently granted new investigational drug (IND) status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

    The drug contains a customized version of the bacterium Lacotococcus lactic, designed to express a gliadin peptide, coupled with an immunomodulating cytokine. The drug can be administered orally or topically, and so requires no injections.


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    According to the company, ActoBiotics therapies promote antigen-specific immune tolerance that can prevent or reverse certain autoimmune and allergic diseases. AG017 is an antigen-specific celiac therapy with the potential to reverse gluten sensitivity that is aimed at the over 90% of celiac patients with the HLA-DQ2.5 genotype that responds to its immunomodulating cytokine.

    The drug will begin a Phase Ib/IIa study in patients with celiac disease in the US and Europe later in 2019.

    What do you think? Promising? Or likely more hype? Over the years, the celiac disease community has heard much about the promise of new drugs and treatments touting their ability to eliminate the need for a gluten-free diet, but nothing has come of it. We'll be keeping an eye on this drug to see how it pans out, so stay tuned.


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    Guest Guest Larry

    Guest Guest Larry

    Posted

    I don’t know what is worse. My celiac disease was triggered by an operation  when I was 63 years old. So the transition from gluten food to gluten free was horrible for me. I am a taste and texture person. I don’t think I would have rather had it from my early years but it is so horrible for me. I am now 71 years old and I still can’t get use to gluten free. If this new med works the first 3 things I can’t wait to eat again are pizza, bagels, and a hamburger with a regular roll.

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    KimOh

    Very exciting news! I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2013 when I was 57 years old. I am also allergic to dairy and have to eat low FODMAP because of IBS. While I have to be skeptical that this would help me, it does give me a little hope that maybe I can eat more normally again! Thank you for alerting us to this development.

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    Guest Made in Finland

    Guest Made in Finland

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Guest Guest Larry said:

    I don’t know what is worse. My celiac disease was triggered by an operation  when I was 63 years old. So the transition from gluten food to gluten free was horrible for me. I am a taste Wand texture person. I don’t think I would have rather had it from my early years but it is so horrible for me. I am now 71 years old and I still can’t get use to gluten free. If this new med works the first 3 things I can’t wait to eat again are pizza, bagels, and a hamburger with a regular roll.

    Well, all I can recommend to you, Sir, is to move to Finland! They have the BEST gluten-free products I have EVER tasted anywhere! Hands down! And I'm not saying this because I'm a Finn living in the U.S., but because I've lived in many countries before moving here, and tasted gluten-free products in all of them, yet nothing has come even close to what you can find in Finland. Already 30 years ago when I was diagnosed with the celiac myself, there were a lot of tasty products I could buy - and they've even had gluten-free hamburgers at every single hamburger joint 20 years back already, do they have it here? Nope, not a single hamburger place has them, not a single one, I've tried, only in restaurants do they offer, and they're a far cry from the authentic ones - so, in short, if you ever think of traveling for a vacation somewhere in Europe, I suggest you visit Finland! You won't get disappointed! Anything that you can buy normal, you can get gluten-free also! Even in gas station bars - sandwiches and all, gluten-free versions are handmade for you, all you need to do is ask ? and of course, hygiene standards are superior, the national health organization wouldn't give a permit for anyone to prepare gluten-free foods, unless the working environment was completely free from gluten allergens. So dont despair, Sir, not everything is lost yet! ✌?

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    Guest Shirley spain

    Guest Shirley spain

    Posted

    I am hoping for a drug like this ,I have been super sentive to gluten since I was in my 20s ,it's painful when I eat out as lots of people don't know what gluten does to coeliacs, so I'm limited to eating out ,it would be wonderful to go and eat anything I like made with gravy without the worry of the pain when I go to sleep if it contained even the slightest bit of gluten ,last time they said they had a drug ,I was so disappointed,as it never came true I would like to trial the drugs ,if it was possible I'm 62 years of age now been on this diet for around 45 years now be nice to have a break please keep on with your great work .

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    Guest Angel 1967

    Guest Angel 1967

    Posted

    19 hours ago, Guest Dante Fishell said:

    I’m really hoping, my 16 yr old daughter has had celiac disease since she was 18mo and although we’re doing great there have been and still times it  mentally affects her. So I hope for her and other kids they can solve this!

    I am in your same position with my 14yo son. He was diagnosed late (8yo) because he wasn't thriving. He weighed just 68 pounds. Now, while he has gotten used to the diet, mentally  it does take a toll on him. Something has got to work. Praying!

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    Guest Pat
    11 hours ago, Guest Guest Larry said:

    I don’t know what is worse. My celiac disease was triggered by an operation  when I was 63 years old. So the transition from gluten food to gluten free was horrible for me. I am a taste and texture person. I don’t think I would have rather had it from my early years but it is so horrible for me. I am now 71 years old and I still can’t get use to gluten free. If this new med works the first 3 things I can’t wait to eat again are pizza, bagels, and a hamburger with a regular roll.

    I can relate to Larry.  I'm 69 and have only been gluten-free for 4 years, but I miss pizza and regular hamburg/hotdot rolls, too.  The gluten-free ones just aren't the same!  LiveG Free bagels are pretty good.   

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    Guest Laura
    22 hours ago, Guest Dante Fishell said:

    I’m really hoping, my 16 yr old daughter has had celiac disease since she was 18mo and although we’re doing great there have been and still times it  mentally affects her. So I hope for her and other kids they can solve this! 

    No matter the age the stigma and social isolation continues. Food commercials make me angry!  Many gluten-free processed foods contain gluten cross-reactors or sulfites and toxic heat processed oils.  Even if there were a pill that magically made gluten tolerable, would you still want to consume the proteins in wheat (gluten & gliaden) that produce inflammatory effects in the body?

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    Guest Julie
    10 hours ago, Guest Guest Larry said:

    I don’t know what is worse. My celiac disease was triggered by an operation  when I was 63 years old. So the transition from gluten food to gluten free was horrible for me. I am a taste and texture person. I don’t think I would have rather had it from my early years but it is so horrible for me. I am now 71 years old and I still can’t get use to gluten free. If this new med works the first 3 things I can’t wait to eat again are pizza, bagels, and a hamburger with a regular roll.

    I was diagnosed  when I was 60. That was 3years ago. I still have anger issues about it. I really hope this new drug works out. I'm going to eat the same things you are.?

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University, and has authored more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously served as SF Health News Examiner for Examiner.com, and devised health and medical content for Sharecare.com. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of the book "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

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