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A last-minute speaker has been added to Saturday's agenda:

NCSG (Northland Celiac Support Group) was contacted this week by Arpesh Mehta, an associate at Cargill Ventures, the venture capitol arm of Cargill, Inc., the giant MN food company.  Arpesh will talk about current research being conducted to develop an enzyme intended to reduce the effects of gluten ingestion in celiacs. More information about the research company (Alvine Pharmaceuticals) is at the end of this message.

We will also be sampling gluten-free pizzas from Mad Woman Foods, and Glutenfreeda Real Cookies.  

Saturday, April 22, 2006
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Luther Seminary - Stub Hall
2329 Hendon Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108

Alvine Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company developing innovative therapeutic and diagnostic products for Celiac disease. Based on technology developed at Stanford University and the Celiac Sprue Research Foundation. Currently, Alvine has three celiac programs in early development, enabling it to address the variability of symptoms and responses in patients. Alvine's lead program is the development of enzyme treatments that will undergo FDA regulation. Alvine expects that these products will be entirely covered by most medical insurance plans. 

 

Product 1 (ALV001), Single Enzyme Product: The protease enzyme EP-BR2, which is derived from barley, can degrade gluten in the acidic environment of the human stomach before food passes into the small intestine where it wreaks havoc in Celiac patients. EP-BR2, or ALV001, has been validated in in vitro and in vivo animal studies tests. Alvine expects that this product will be used as a supplement to gluten-free diet to reduce or eliminate symptoms induced by trace amounts of gluten.

 

Product 2 (ALV002), Double Enzyme Product: Further behind in development is a second product that combines EP-BR2 with an additional enzyme, PEP. This combined product should significantly enhance gluten pre-digestion, allowing patients to tolerate greater amounts of gluten in their diet.

 

Alvine Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2005 by Dr. Chaitan Khosla, a Stanford professor and leading expert on Celiac disease. Chaitan's laboratory at Stanford is pursuing several projects aimed at understanding the molecular basis for Celiac disease and developing therapeutic approaches to develop the disease. He has authored over 180 scientific publications and is the recipient of several prestigious awards for his research. In 2002, Chaitan founded the non-profit Celiac Sprue Research Foundation. 

 

For more information on Chaitan Khosla, please see the following web site:

 

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/chemistry/faculty/khosla/



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