Oral insulin could one day replace injections for people with diabetes, new scientific discoveries suggest.
Researchers from Kumamoto University in Japan have announced the development of an insulin pill to help lower blood sugar.
For diabetics, insulin is typically administered via injection, but the pill would offer a non-invasive treatment option.
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"Insulin injections remain a daily burden for many patients," said associate professor Shingo Ito, a researcher in the study's press release. "Our peptide-based platform offers a new route to deliver insulin orally, and may be applicable to long-acting insulin formulations and other injectable biologics."
The study, published in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, tested the delivery of oral insulin by building a carrier peptide called DNP-V. This peptide helps to transport insulin through the small intestine, where protein drug absorption is usually poor.
In diabetic mice models, the researchers administered the peptide by mouth with zinc-stabilized insulin, which was formulated with zinc ions to make it more stable, according to the study.
The result was a rapid and significant drop in blood glucose, as well as a sustained (longer-term) decrease. The mice’s blood sugar was reduced to near-normal levels.
When DNP-V was attached directly to insulin, the results showed enhanced absorption in the intestines and a similar glucose-lowering effect, the researchers noted.
The treatment was effective in different diabetes models, significantly reducing blood sugar spikes after meals with just one dose per day.
The findings suggest that DNP peptides could serve as flexible, adaptable platforms for delivering large-molecule drugs by mouth, the authors concluded in the study abstract.
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"This technology can simply and effectively convert injectable biopharmaceuticals into orally administrable forms, offering a promising path to practical, patient-friendly oral therapies," they wrote.
Although the researchers are optimistic about the findings translating to larger therapeutic models, they noted that the results in mice do not guarantee the same outcome in humans, and that more research is needed.
Dr. Marc Siegel commented on this development, noting that oral insulin could make a big difference in healthcare.
"Insulin use, especially in type 1 diabetes, is sometimes difficult to regulate by injection," Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "Oral use would have major advantages." He added, "This is very promising provided that it works in humans, which is a big 'if.'"
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Dr. Philip Rabito, an endocrinologist and weight-loss specialist in New York City, said that this new peptide represents a "promising step toward clinically viable oral insulin."
"If these findings are confirmed in humans, the approach could reduce injection burden, improve adherence, and potentially help lower complication risk in patients with type 1 diabetes and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes," he told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New York and New Jersey, noted that while the treatment could be more convenient and improve patient adherence, it is still in a "highly investigational phase."
"For type 1 diabetes, this approach would not eliminate the need for injections entirely, as basal insulin would still likely be required," he told Fox News Digital.
Balazs stressed that this is not a cure, and that these advancements focus on "improving insulin delivery methods" rather than restoring the function of the pancreas.
Additionally, dosing for oral insulin is "highly variable" compared to injections, he added, which means the same dose may produce different effects from day to day.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.
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