Beyond Celiac Accelerates Search for Celiac Disease Cure by 2030

National Celiac Awareness Day, Sept. 13, Focuses on Need for a Cure

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, September 13, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Beyond Celiac, the leading catalyst for a celiac disease cure, today celebrates National Celiac Awareness Day, a reminder of the progress made in research and the ongoing need for a cure. Beyond Celiac is driving the search for a cure by 2030 so that the 3.2 million children and adults diagnosed with the disease can live healthy lives and eat without fear of gluten exposure.

September 13 is dubbed National Celiac Disease Awareness Day in honor of Dr. Samuel Gee, the doctor who identified a link between celiac disease and diet. Dr. Gee, a key leader in celiac disease research, was born on Sept. 13, 1839, and is the physician who first published literature on the nature of celiac disease and the need for a diet to treat the disease.

Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is a 100% gluten-free diet. Alice Bast, founder and CEO of Beyond Celiac, points out that 20% of children on the gluten-free diet are not healing, adults adhering to the gluten-free diet still show indications of long-term health damage and 44% of people with celiac disease self-report that they are “glutened” each month.

As the premier celiac disease nonprofit funder of research globally, Beyond Celiac engages with the top scientists in the field and makes investments in research that will lead to the cure. In addition, this year Beyond Celiac initiated two new endeavors to further efforts in the search for a cure – Beyond Celiac Investments and a meeting between the Beyond Celiac Coalition and the FDA to discuss major patient barriers to accelerate clinical trials for celiac disease.

Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI) is an investment program that accelerates the development of treatments and a cure for celiac disease by leveraging the speed and scale of venture capital and capital markets. It is the first venture philanthropy program in celiac disease. BCI has identified multiple promising treatments under development for celiac disease as well as those being developed for other purposes that show promise to benefit celiac disease patients. The program works closely with Beyond Celiac scientific resources; advocacy and Ambassador programs; clinical trial design and recruitment services. “BCI has raised $1.5 million toward its $2 million initial 2024 goal and expects to make its first one or two investments before year-end,” Bast adds.

In June the Beyond Celiac Coalition, a precompetitive partnership of multidisciplinary stakeholders and first-of-its-kind coalition to accelerate clinical research in celiac disease and to assure that the patients’ voice is always heard, met with the FDA to discuss a collaborative approach to making therapeutic trials for celiac disease more patient-centric while maintaining scientific rigor.

Participating in clinical trials is necessary to accelerate research for treatment breakthroughs and a cure. Yet clinical trials for celiac disease often struggle because currently most studies require participants to undergo procedures or activities deemed too invasive or debilitating by many patients. “This was a pivotal meeting because key stakeholders heard directly from people living with celiac disease about how the disease and the gluten-free diet affect their quality of life,” Bast says.

A cure means real treatment options so those with celiac disease can live healthy lives and eat without fear. “The large, diverse celiac disease community continues to suffer from high daily burdens in coping with the disease, but we firmly believe that with a strategic approach to funding focused research and the right strategic partnerships, an effective treatment or cure is possible by 2030,” Bast concludes.

About Beyond Celiac
Founded in 2003, Beyond Celiac is the leading catalyst for a celiac disease cure in the United States, serving as a patient advocacy and research-driven organization working to drive diagnosis and accelerate the discovery of new treatments. By engaging with the top scientists in the field, making the right investments in research and supporting the broad community of those with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, Beyond Celiac envisions a world in which people can live healthy lives and eat without fear – a world Beyond Celiac. BeyondCeliac.org

Angela Crist
Beyond Celiac
+1 419.306.4770
acrist@beyondceliac.org
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