Hi All,
Here's some recent info on the status of the development phase of Dr. Fasano's "anti-zonulin" pills:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 27992.html
Tex
An Update On Dr. Fasano's Anti-Zonulin Pill For Celiacs
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh, mbeezie
An Update On Dr. Fasano's Anti-Zonulin Pill For Celiacs
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
If this anti-zonulin pill is effective, it will become a mainstream medication for all celiacs, but not necessarily for all IBS and MC patients because MDs don't associate our problems with gluten sensitivity. I wonder if insurance coverage will be available for celiacs, but not for MC patients?
I also wonder what kind of impact it will have on the availability of GF products? Will they become unnecessary? If so, will they become scarce?
It will be interesting to see what impact the pill has on treatment for MC patients.
Gloria
I also wonder what kind of impact it will have on the availability of GF products? Will they become unnecessary? If so, will they become scarce?
It will be interesting to see what impact the pill has on treatment for MC patients.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Hmmmm
If this is successful in treating gluten induced inflammation, here are three glass-half-full thoughts:
1. If they want to maximize returns on investment they will tap into the currently undiagnosed gluten sensitive "mass market". They will thus be motivated to do more research into MC and (that infamous "non"-diagnoses) IBS. They will "discover" a far wider population of patients who are gluten sensitive.
2. Those significant minority of celiacs with MC (and possibly multiple food sensitivities) will find the drug does not work. Hopefully this will draw attention to the more complex realities of GI inflammation beyond gluten.
3. Many celiacs (and newly diagnosed non celiac gluten sensitive people) will not want to rely on a drug and demand for GF foods will stay high.
Lets see. best Ant
If this is successful in treating gluten induced inflammation, here are three glass-half-full thoughts:
1. If they want to maximize returns on investment they will tap into the currently undiagnosed gluten sensitive "mass market". They will thus be motivated to do more research into MC and (that infamous "non"-diagnoses) IBS. They will "discover" a far wider population of patients who are gluten sensitive.
2. Those significant minority of celiacs with MC (and possibly multiple food sensitivities) will find the drug does not work. Hopefully this will draw attention to the more complex realities of GI inflammation beyond gluten.
3. Many celiacs (and newly diagnosed non celiac gluten sensitive people) will not want to rely on a drug and demand for GF foods will stay high.
Lets see. best Ant
Gloria,
Those are very good questions. I'm sure that the GF products market will take a hit, because so many people prefer to simply take a pill, rather than to change their diet/lifestyle, etc. The outcome will probably hinge on just how effective the drug actually proves to be. As always, demand and profitability will determine the future of the availability of GF products.
Ant is thinking along the right lines, I believe. I'm going to predict that once doctors realize that they can write a prescription for a drug to treat it, non-celiac gluten-sensitivity will suddenly become a recognized disease. Treating it will quickly become an off-label uses for the drug. For one thing, if the treatment works, it will be obvious to doctors and everyone else, almost immediately, since virtually all patients will respond to the treatment, probably within a matter of minutes, which will be in stark contrast to the difficulty in fine-tuning a dietary treatment, and waiting weeks or months for it to show results.
Ant,
Why do you feel that it won't work for patients with MC? There is a possibility that it might not work for cases of drug-induced MC, (unless the drug responsible for the inflammation is discontinued), but I have a hunch that it may even work for most of them, as well, even if they continue to use the offending drug, which would be foolish, of course, (except in cases where there is an extreme need for the drug), but some people don't seem to hesitate to take "questionable" drugs.
Tex
Those are very good questions. I'm sure that the GF products market will take a hit, because so many people prefer to simply take a pill, rather than to change their diet/lifestyle, etc. The outcome will probably hinge on just how effective the drug actually proves to be. As always, demand and profitability will determine the future of the availability of GF products.
Ant is thinking along the right lines, I believe. I'm going to predict that once doctors realize that they can write a prescription for a drug to treat it, non-celiac gluten-sensitivity will suddenly become a recognized disease. Treating it will quickly become an off-label uses for the drug. For one thing, if the treatment works, it will be obvious to doctors and everyone else, almost immediately, since virtually all patients will respond to the treatment, probably within a matter of minutes, which will be in stark contrast to the difficulty in fine-tuning a dietary treatment, and waiting weeks or months for it to show results.
Ant,
Why do you feel that it won't work for patients with MC? There is a possibility that it might not work for cases of drug-induced MC, (unless the drug responsible for the inflammation is discontinued), but I have a hunch that it may even work for most of them, as well, even if they continue to use the offending drug, which would be foolish, of course, (except in cases where there is an extreme need for the drug), but some people don't seem to hesitate to take "questionable" drugs.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Sure, but these pills are not directly related to gluten. All they do is to prevent the tight junctions from opening. As long as the tight junctions are properly regulated, no peptides from any food sensitivities should be able to pass through. In fact, I'm a little concerned that they may not only limit the absorption of undesirable peptides, but also of many/all nutrients. 
Hopefully, they will allow normal nutrient transfer, while limiting the opening sufficiently to prevent the passage of peptides, (amino acid chains longer that just 2 or 3 amino acid molecules.
Tex
Hopefully, they will allow normal nutrient transfer, while limiting the opening sufficiently to prevent the passage of peptides, (amino acid chains longer that just 2 or 3 amino acid molecules.Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.