Scientists have designed oral capsule for the delivery of insulin that has to be injected

Many drugs, especially those made of proteins, break down in the gastrointestinal tract before they can take effect. Hence, cannot be taken orally. Insulin is one of the examples for this, in which patients with diabetes have to inject daily or even more frequently. In United States, scientists have designed an oral drug capsule that delivers insulin. The drug also protects from the harsh environment in the digestive tracts.

Capsules containing proteins that cannot be taken orally reaches the small intestine. They release dissolvable tiny needles. These needles attach to the intestinal wall and release drug for fast uptake into the bloodstream. This capsule could load a large amount of insulin as compared to that of an injection. At the initial period of this year, scientists developed a blueberry-sized capsule that contained a small needle made of compressed insulin. The needle injects the drug into the stomach lining.

According to a study, scientists developed a capsule that could inject its contents into the wall of the small intestine. They coated the 30-millimeter-long capsule with a polymer. This helped the acidic environment of the stomach to survive. The capsule breaks open in the small intestine and then springs three folded arms containing patches of one-millimetre-long needles that can carry insulin.