A new form of oral insulin is being developed, which might soon be undergoing testing in humans, providing an alternative to the use of syringes or insulin pumps.
ADVERTISEMENTScientists have created a way to administer insulin orally, through a capsule or sugar-free chocolate, and have successfully tested it on animals. This new insulin is scheduled for human testing in 2025.
An estimated 61 million individuals in Europe have diabetes, with 5 to 10 per cent of them having type 1 diabetes, which requires daily insulin to manage blood glucose levels. Some individuals with the more common type 2 diabetes also rely on insulin. According to the International Diabetes Federation, the three most common methods for insulin delivery are via syringe, insulin pen, or insulin pump. Delivering medicine to the liverResearchers from the University of Sydney, in collaboration with the Arctic University of Norway, had previously determined that it was possible to deliver medications to the liver using nano-carriers. “We were successful in obtaining a grant in Australia to explore different methods for delivering these therapeutics to cells within an aging population. This involved the use of nanomedicines. We began by using quantum dots, which are incredibly fascinating and remarkable materials,” stated Dr. Nicholas Hunt, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, in an interview with Euronews Next. Quantum dots are minute semiconductor particles with dimensions on the scale of a few nanometres. “When we first utilized them, we observed that drugs could be delivered very effectively. Their delivery could be precisely targeted to specific parts of the body, providing focused and efficient effects,” he added. The idea to develop an oral form of insulin arose after a geriatric doctor at a clinic where the researchers were working expressed concern about elderly individuals in their care who were hospitalized and at increased risk of secondary infections due to their need for insulin injections. “At that time, it was purely conceptual. The key steps we subsequently undertook were to first validate that insulin could indeed be delivered orally,” explained Hunt. The team had to devise a specialized polymer that could navigate the stomach, be absorbed in the gut, and ultimately reach the liver. They set out to design a polymer that would respond to a patient’s blood sugar levels by examining enzymes that break down long sugar molecules. “If there is a high level of blood glucose, there is also a high level of these enzymes, which then break down the polymer and release the insulin,” Hunt explained. Subsequently, the nanomaterial can be rapidly cleared from the body. “This method of insulin delivery is more precise since it delivers the insulin rapidly to the areas of the body that need it most. When insulin is administered via a syringe, it is dispersed throughout the body, potentially causing undesirable side effects,” stated Peter McCourt at UiT – the Arctic University of Norway in a statement. Plans for future clinical trialsThis system was tested on mice, rats, and baboons, with the team publishing their findings in Nature Nanotechnology. As the baboons were not inclined to consume a tablet, the researchers instead tried sugar-free jellies and sugar-free chocolate, with the baboons showing a preference for the lab-created chocolate. “In our baboon study, we designed it to mimic what would be done in a phase I clinical trial. It involved the same insulin dosage that would be used and the same experimental paradigm,” Hunt mentioned.ADVERTISEMENTThe current focus is on manufacturing for the upcoming clinical trial, with the aim of commencing by the end of the year. Hunt anticipates that subsequent trials will be conducted in 2026, and if successful, approval from regulators could be sought as early as 2028. “We hope that an orally administered therapeutic, which cannot be overdosed on, will enable better glucose control throughout the entire lifespan,” Hunt expressed, highlighting that the ingestible insulin does not require refrigeration and remains cost-effective.
