Insulin Pill: Study Reveals A New Method of Administration

Insulin administration is predominantly done through intravenous approaches to ensure maximum bioavailability in the body. While the process isn’t precisely complex, it does require precision.

A new study (R), however, marks a significant milestone in diabetes treatment. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have come up with a drug capsule that offers an effective way of administering insulin and might replace regular injections, which most Type-1 diabetic patients rely on.

The capsule contains a compressed insulin needle the size of a blueberry that gets injected into the lining of the stomach once it reaches the stomach. In pre-clinical trials, this capsule could deliver enough insulin to effectively lower elevated blood sugar levels. This method, according to the study, can also be adapted for other protein-based drugs.

Robert Langer, the David H. Koch Institute Professor and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, is one of the senior authors of the study. He added that this innovation might lighten the burden on diabetic patients quite considerably, because they would no longer have to receive injections or infusions.

In previous studies, Langer, Traverso, and colleagues developed a pill with multiple needles for drug delivery into the stomach lining. The new capsule has only one needle that can inject its content into the stomach lining accurately while missing the interior where gastric acids could degrade the insulin.

The needle tip is made of over 100% compressed, freeze-dried insulin, similar to the traditional medication preparation. Its shaft, which does not enter the stomach lining, is made of a biodegradable material that self-dissolves in the body without side effects.

The needle is attached to a compressed spring inside the capsule. The sugar disc, held in front of it, holds the spring and the needle. On ingestion, stomach fluids dissolve the sugar disc, releasing the spring, which then releases the needle and injects insulin into the stomach lining. Since there are no pain receptors in the stomach, the patient won’t feel any discomfort. The capsule can also orient itself correctly, ensuring it is in contact with the stomach lining irrespective of where it lands.

He added that the self-righting of the capsule was important to ensure the contact of the tissue with the capsule. Abramson said it is designed to stay oriented if the patient moves around or if their stomach growls.

The researchers showed that 300 micrograms of insulin were delivered during this pre-clinical study of pigs using such capsules and then increased the dose to 5 milligrams, which is typical for a Type-1 diabetic patient.

The remaining components of the capsule are readily digested after insulin delivery because they consist of a biodegradable polymer and stainless steel. According to Maria José Alonso, a professor of biopharmaceutics at Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela, this is an emerging technology with huge potential that could help many Type-1 diabetes patients.

According to Traverso, the main goal is to simplify insulin administration for patients. This innovation could not only serve their interests but also reduce the risks that often complicate their lives.

• Mar 2019
  Written by Somapika D
• Sep 2024
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri