People suffering from diabetes may soon be able to take a pill to control the disease instead of taking the daily injections, now that research was conducted by Jersey-based company Diabetology.
Dr.Steve Luzio, part of a team from Cardiff University that carried out the trials of this pill, will present the results at the American Diabetes Association in Chicago.
This form of insulin which can be taken orally is hoped to better control the symptoms of Diabetes.
For many years now, oral insulin has remained a dream with several companies trying hard to develop it. The problem is that insulin is a protein and the stomach is perfectly adapted to digest proteins breaking them up into smaller fragments.
The stomach is a very acidic environment and proteins are quickly denatured, which automatically makes the insulin ineffective.
Besides, the presence of food also influences absorption and makes a dose less predictable. This is why oral insulin has never been successful.
Dr.Steve Luzio and his colleagues are expected to show that an oral dose of an insulin pill, taken twice daily before breakfast and the evening meal, controls glucose levels successfully in the patients treated.