Diabetes rates are on the rise, and now scientists have devised a painless way to deliver drugs to help those with diabetes better manage the disease and maintain their health. They have come up with oral insulin drops that can be placed under the tongue and are absorbed quickly and efficiently by the body, potentially replacing the need for insulin injections.
Researchers at the Li Lab have created oral insulin drops that can be absorbed quickly and efficiently by the body when placed under the tongue, potentially eliminating the need for insulin injections.
The drops consist of a combination of insulin and a special cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) developed by Dr. Shyh-Dar Li and his team.
Guided by a peptide
“Insulin is a complex molecule,” says Dr. Li, the lead researcher and a professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences. “When taken in pill form, it can be easily broken down in the stomach. Insulin also needs to be readily available.The peptide, which is derived from fish byproducts, serves as a guide for insulin to navigate through the bloodstream. Without the peptide, insulin struggles to cross over into the bloodstream effectively. Dr. Jiamin Wu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Li Lab, described the peptide as a helpful guide that finds the best routes for insulin to reach its destination quickly.
Recent articles in the Journal of Controlled Release (here and here) describe two versions of the peptide. The UBC team is working to license the technology to a commercial partner.
Keeping medications on track
People with diabetes cannot produce enough insulin naturally from the pancreas to regulate glucose after a meal, unlike healthy individuals. Therefore, they need to obtain insulin from an external source.
Unregulated glucose levels can be extremely dangerous for diabetes patients, so they are required to monitor their glucose levels and administer insulin when necessary. While injections are the quickest way to deliver insulin, they are not the most convenient for everyone.
In order to introduce insulin into the bloodstream, patients typically require a minimum of three to four injections per day, which can impact their quality of life. Adhering to this schedule is difficult, and can lead to serious complications over time, including eye, kidney, and nerve damage, potentially resulting in limb amputations.
Dr. Li stated, ”My team has been researching needle-free alternatives for insulin over the past three years. We experimented with nasal sprays before developing oral drops, which are simple and convenient. Hopefully, the oral drops present a new option for diabetes patients, making it easier for them to take their medications and manage their blood sugar levels.”
Many people with diabetes struggle with the need for regular insulin injections to maintain their health in the long term.
Prior to this new development, two inhalable insulin products (Exubera, Afrezza) were approved but were found to have suboptimal effects and were shown to increase the risk of lung cancer development. As a result, these products have since been withdrawn from the market. Dr. Li’s goal is to achieve rapid and pain-free delivery of insulin without significant side effects. The new needle-free technology is expected to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, needle pricks, accidental infections, and unsafe disposal of contaminated needles.
