Diabetics are known to inject themselves daily with insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels. These shots appear to be uncomfortable, painful and a big hindrance to many diabetics in their daily life. Since a long period, researchers have tried to develop a pill which may help solve this problem. After a prolonged analysis on insulin pills that could increase the convenience of patients than being injected, it now appears one such drug is finally making a progress in clinical trials and may get closer to medicine cabinet.
Drug manufactures have tried for many years to develop oral insulin which could be useful to solve the problem of inconvenient injections. However the results were not satisfactory and did not provide the required results. This was mainly because stomach acids and enzymes easily destroyed the insulin and other protein-based drugs, shares C&EN Senior Correspondent Ann Thayer.
Researcher took these failures as a challenge and developed a unique coating for insulin which prevented the stomach acid from destroying them. They also made use of additives to help the intestine absorb large molecules like insulin. Insulin pills are now in their clinical trials. The relieved researchers’ share that with confirmation of this concept; they can look forward to undertake precise clinical testing. Only time will tell though if these pills will hit the market and ease the worries of diabetics.
The Insulin pill topic was highlighted in a two-part cover story on drug manufacturing in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN).
