An Insulin Capsule Instead of a Shot?

A capsule that contains insulin "patches" and can be swallowed is currently in development by researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara.

Until now, it hasn't been possible for diabetes patients to take insulin by mouth, as digestive enzymes break down the protein and render it useless.

The new capsules have shown encouraging results in blood sugar management among diabetic rats, researchers reported.

"The outcome of our studies suggest that this unique drug delivery approach could be used to deliver insulin orally in a continuous, time-dependent manner," said Amrita Banerjee, study co-investigator.

Dissolvable patches

The research team developed tiny patches that are loaded with insulin and then injected into coated capsules. Once the capsules reach the intestine, the pills dissolve and the patches are released so they can bind to the intestinal wall and deliver insulin in a site-specific way.

In the rat tests, the capsules were shown to release 100 percent of the insulin within five hours and adequately controlled blood sugar in specific doses.

The team will continue to study how to create capsules that release insulin faster or for an extended period of time.

Source: American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

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