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Researchers begin development of insulin pill
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Researchers are developing an insulin pill that could make diabetes treatment less painful, according to a news release from the American Chemical Society.
The pill relies on new technology: a neutral, lipid-based particle dubbed a “cholestosome” that houses the insulin.
Insulin is difficult to deliver orally because it must pass through the highly acidic stomach environment, something insulin alone cannot do. By forming the lipid molecules into spheres, researchers found via computer modeling that the neutral particles are not destroyed by stomach acid. The insulin is then loaded inside and can be passed through the stomach into the intestines for absorption.
In an initial study on rats, researchers found that certain formulations of cholestosomes carrying insulin have high bioavailability. Their next step is to optimize formulations before conducting more animal testing and moving on to human trials, according to the release.