What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 139 patients with celiac disease. The study was sponsored by Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was an early-stage trial — researchers are still confirming safety and getting an early look at how well the treatment works. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The enzyme broke down 97% to more than 99% of gluten in real meals within 20 to 65 minutes.
Gastroenterology · 2021 · NCT03701555
These findings — that the enzyme destroyed nearly all gluten in meals before it could reach the intestines — were published in the Gastroenterology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 139 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with celiac disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early-stage study and the enzyme is not yet available. If you have celiac disease, a strict gluten-free diet is still the only proven treatment. Ask your doctor about open trials testing this enzyme or other ways to manage accidental gluten exposure.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open celiac disease trials
EUS-guided Celiac Plexus Block vs. Sham in Chronic Pancreatitis
The aim of this randomized trial is to assess the efficacy of EUS-CPB in the alleviation of abdominal pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Pathogenic Study of Adult Immune Enteropathies
The study focuses the mechanisms underlying the loss of intestinal homeostasis in celiac disease, refractory celiac disease and other immune diseases such as monogenic enteropathy, inflammatory bowel diseases or drug induced intestinal diseases. Mechanisms of transformation of lymphocytes leading to onset of lymphomatous complications of immune enteropathies will be investigated. Mechanisms of loss of hepatic lymphocytic homeostasis will also be assessed in liver associated diseases.