WASHINGTON – Studies carried out on lab rats have shown promise for a newkind of insulin pill that may be able to help millions of people withdiabetes avoid daily injections, researchers said Monday.
Much more work is needed before the pill, designed by researchers atHarvard University, can be tested in people or possibly be made availableon a wide scale.
Until now, the main challenge in developing an insulin pill has beenfinding a way to preserve the insulin protein once it encounters stomachacid.
The experimental pill described in the Proceedings of the National Academyof Sciences carries insulin in a liquid, enclosed in a coating that resistsacid breakdown in the stomach.
The polymer coating dissolves when it reaches the alkaline environment ofthe small intestine, allowing liquid carrying insulin to be released.
“Once ingested, insulin must navigate a challenging obstacle course beforeit can be effectively absorbed into the bloodstream,” said senior authorSamir Mitragotri, professor of bioengineering at Harvard.
“Our approach is like a Swiss Army knife, where one pill has tools foraddressing each of the obstacles that are encountered.”
The new pill is “easy to manufacture, and can be stored for up to twomonths at room temperature without degrading,” the study said. Researchersdid not say how long it might take before human trials can take place, butit will likely be years.
More animal studies are needed, along with more research on any potentialtoxic effects of long-term use.
Some 40 million people worldwide have type 1 diabetes, a condition thatrequires daily injections with insulin, which their bodies cannot produceon their own.
According to Mark Prausnitz, chair of chemical and biomolecular engineeringat Georgia Institute of Technology, the hunt for an oral insulin deliverysystem has been considered the “holy grail” in diabetes research.
“This study shows remarkable results where insulin given by mouth incombination with an ionic liquid works about as well as a conventionalinjection,” said Prausnitz, who was not involved in the research.
“The implications of this work to medicine could be huge, if the findingscan be translated into pills that safely and effectively administer insulinand other peptide drugs to humans.” – APP/AFP