Oral Insulin Set to Replace Injections for Diabetic Patients

Following successful animal trials, human trials for the new insulin delivery method are set to begin in 2025, potentially revolutionizing diabetes treatment within the next few years.

• Researchers have developed a new form of insulin that can be taken orally, potentially even through chocolate, offering an alternative to daily injections for the approximately 425 million people worldwide living with diabetes.
• The insulin is encapsulated within tiny nano-carriers, each 1/10,000th the width of a human hair, which are protected by a special coating that prevents the insulin from breaking down in the stomach.
• The coating is broken down in the liver by enzymes that are only activated when blood glucose levels are high, releasing insulin where it’s needed and avoiding the risk of hypoglycemia common with injections.
• The oral insulin has been successfully tested on nematodes, mice, rats, and baboons, with human trials set to begin in 2025.
• Researchers are hopeful that this new form of insulin could replace injections for diabetic patients in the next two to three years, following successful human trials.

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