Israeli scientists at the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva are on the cusp of a breakthrough in the treatment of celiac disease.

Celiac disease, which affects about 1 percent of the world’s population, is an autoimmune disease in which the ingestion of gluten triggers antibodies that damage the small intestine. Because there are no approved medications to treat celiac disease, patients suffering from the condition must follow the standard treatment of adhering to a strictly gluten-free diet.

But now Teva has produced promising results in the trial of its new medication to treat celiac disease, called TEV ‘408, which is an antibody administered via injection. Antibodies are proteins that can recognize a target in the body and act on it. TEV ‘408 is designed to block a protein called interleukin-15, or IL-15, which is implicated in the symptoms of celiac disease.

In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 50 adults with celiac disease, each participant received a subcutaneous injection (an injection under the skin) of either TEV ‘408 or a placebo. The participants were instructed to wait two weeks and then eat products containing gluten daily for six weeks.

The results were statistically significant.

The researchers found, using the study’s measure of intestinal damage, an average increase in intestinal damage of 0.43 in people who took the medication compared with 0.88 in those who received the placebo, meeting the study’s primary endpoint of being clinically meaningful.

Researchers also examined intraepithelial lymphocytes, special cells found in the lining of the small intestine. An increased amount indicates active celiac disease. Among those who received the placebo, the density of these immune cells increased by 27.60, compared with only 0.37 for those who received TEV ‘408, which means that the medication also reduced inflammation in the small intestine.

Those who received the actual drug also reported lower gastrointestinal symptom scores, which means they experienced fewer or less severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

What’s more, the drug was well tolerated by the participants.

The results give hope for a future in which doctors no longer have to tell patients with celiac disease to avoid gluten, but to simply take a medication to prevent intestinal damage.

“A strict gluten-free diet has long been the only option for people living with celiac disease,” said Dr. Eric Hughes, Teva’s executive vice president of global research and development and chief medical officer.

“These results underscore the potential to move beyond managing gluten exposure and address celiac disease at its biological source,” he said.

The drug is also being studied for its possible use in treating other autoimmune disorders caused by IL-15, such as vitiligo, in which patches of skin lose their color.