Scientists one step closer to breakthrough insulin pill

A team of international researchers is one step closer to an oral insulin pill to help treat more than 1.3 million Australians with diabetes.

An estimated 75 million people worldwide inject themselves with insulin roughly 6-7 times a day.

Now, researchers are using nanotechnology to create a pill form of the medication, which includes a nanocarrier that greatly increases the absorbance of insulin in the gut when consumed orally.

An estimated 75 million people worldwide inject themselves with insulin roughly 6-7 times a day.

Usually, only a small amount of insulin reaches the bloodstream when taken in any form other than an injection.

Professor Victoria Cogger from the ANZAC Research Centre, who is a member of the research team, said the goal was to provide easily accessible insulin.

“Using our oral insulin, we can control blood sugar levels where we don’t see hypoglycaemic events,” Cogger said.

“And we also don’t see the weight gain that a number of people see when they commence insulin therapy.

“My hope is we can reduce the multi-faceted burden of diabetes through easily accessible oral insulin.”

The pill is made up of three layers, including silver sulphide quantum dots, which help the insulin absorb, as well as a “smart” polymer material shell.

Researchers are using nanotechnology to create a pill form of the medication, which includes a nanocarrier that greatly increases the absorbance of insulin in the gut when consumed orally.

“The encapsulation material that we’ve built is a particular polymer that reacts to its environment so if you have high glucose in your blood, high blood sugar you get the release of insulin but if you don’t get the high glucose you don’t get the release of that product,” University of Sydney senior lecturer Nicholas Hunt said.

So far, testing of the pill in human gut tissue shows it was effective and avoided the risk of blood sugar levels dropping.

An adult trial of the insulin pill will begin in the new year.