Oral insulin pills may replace daily insulin injections, new study finds | Tech Reddy

A team of researchers from the University of British Columbia has made a revolutionary breakthrough in replacing pills for daily injections.

Dr. Anubhav Pratap Singh, principal investigator, said the results would improve quality of life because there would be no need to inject it before each meal. It also improves the mental health of more than 9 million type 1 diabetics worldwide.

Dr. Alberto Baldelli, senior researcher, found that almost 100 percent of the insulin from their pill went directly to the liver. These results are in contrast to previous attempts where oral insulin accumulates in the stomach.

A change in delivery mode in the human body

Injections are not convenient for diabetics. But with the rise of oral alternatives tested and developed by the UBC team, these supplements have a higher absorption rate. This tablet can be swallowed when placed between the gum and the cheek. This passes through the buccal mucosa (a thin membrane that lines the back of the inner cheek and lip), where all the insulin is delivered to the liver without being wasted or broken down.

Yigong, a PhD candidate working on the same tablet, adds that the biggest challenge for them was working in an area that required 100 iu of injectable insulin, while other swallowed tablets required 500 iu of insulin. Swallowed tablets release slowly over two to four hours, as opposed to an injection that is completely released within 30 to 120 minutes.

The potential benefits of consuming them are extensive

This research may take time as it has yet to go to human trials, but Dr Pratap emphasized its benefits and how sustainable and affordable it would be.

According to the data, more than 3,00,000 Canadians inject insulin several times a day, and from needles to plastics and syringes, this creates a lot of environmental waste, which is usually not even sent for recycling.

Their hope is to lower the cost of a single dose of insulin and make it more affordable to the public. Carrying these pills would also be easier for diabetic patients, who may have to consider cooling their dosage at this point.