Pharmacological effect
Target: Zonulin pathway, antagonizing PAR2/EGFR signaling. Zonulin is an endogenous protein in the human body. Once activated, it will open the tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells and increase intestinal leakage (intestinal permeability). Gluten (glutenin) stimulates the release of Zonulin in the intestines. Gluten peptides pass through the gaps and enter the submucosa, inducing autoimmune inflammation in celiac disease.
2. Larazotide competitively blocks the Zonulin receptor, stabilizes intestinal tight junctions, reduces the opening of paracellular channels, and prevents gluten antigens from penetrating the intestinal wall, thereby reducing immune triggering from the source. It hardly enters the bloodstream and only takes effect locally in the intestinal tract, without systemic immunosuppression.
3. Positioning: As an adjuvant drug for Celiac disease, it is used in combination with a gluten-free diet to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distension) in patients who have accidentally been exposed to a small amount of gluten. It cannot replace a gluten-free diet.
IDA