Researchers working on developing oral insulin tablets as a replacement for daily insulin injections have made a game-changing discovery. They have discovered that insulin from the latest version of their oral tablets is absorbed by rats in the same way that injected insulin is in the human body. According to Dr. Alberto Baldelli, a senior fellow in Dr. Pratap-Singh’s lab, the research team has observed that nearly 100% of the insulin from their tablets goes straight into the liver. However, in their previous attempts to develop drinkable insulin, most of the insulin would accumulate in the stomach. Mr. Yigong Gou, the first author of the study and a Ph.D. candidate working closely on the project, stated that even after two hours of delivery, they did not find any insulin in the stomachs of the rats they tested. It was all in the liver, and that is the ideal target for insulin they were looking forward to.

When it comes to insulin delivery, injections are not the most comfortable or convenient for diabetes patients. But with several other oral insulin alternatives also being tested and developed, Dr. Pratap-Singh’s team worked to solve where and how to facilitate a higher absorption rate. They developed a different kind of tablet that isn’t made for swallowing but instead dissolves when placed between the gum and cheek. In this method, the thin membrane found within the lining of the inner cheek and back of the lips (also known as the buccal mucosa) absorbs the dissolving insulin and delivers all the insulin to the liver without wasting or decomposing any insulin along the way.

Most swallowed insulin tablets in development tend to release insulin slowly over two to four hours, while fast-release injected insulin can be fully released in 30–120 minutes. Dr. Baldelli added that similar to the rapid-acting insulin injection, their oral delivery tablet is absorbed within half an hour and can last for about two to four hours. The study is yet to go into human trials, but the research team has claimed that beyond the clear potential benefits to diabetics, the tablet they are developing could also be more sustainable, cost-effective, and accessible. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/research-for-developing-oral-insulin-tablets-witnesses-breakthrough-results/1113263/ )