Scientists Developing Pill That Could Let Gluten-Free People Eat Pasta

People who suffer from celiac disease may not need to avoid pasta forever: scientists are developing a pill that would allow them to eat gluten.

Scientists at the University of Alberta are working on a pill made from chicken egg yolks that could help people with celiac disease digest gluten, Quartz reports.

Hoon Sunwoon, associate professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, who worked on the project, explained to Quartz how the pill works: “This supplement binds with gluten in the stomach and help to neutralize it, therefore providing defence [sic] to the small intestine, limiting the damage gliadin causes.” Gliadin is a component of gluten that causes digestive trouble for people with celiac; gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

But celiacs, don’t rejoice just yet: the drug is still in development. A trial is slated to begin within the year.

Write to Tessa Berenson at tessa.berenson@time.com.