Insulin in an Oral Capsule

Recently, a new lipid based oral capsule was developed to administered insulin. The oral delivery system has a protective lipidic cubic phase encased in an enteric capsule which protects the insulin in the capsule. Bioavailability is the rate of absorption and is the fraction (per cent) of an administered drug that reaches the circulatory system. When a medication is administered intravenously, its bioavailability is 100 per cent. But when it is administered orally its bioavailability is lowered.

In animal studies, researchers saw a high bioavailability of regular insulin after oral delivery (at 99 per cent). The oral bioavailability of slow-acting insulin was higher than subcutaneous injection (at 150 per cent). The researchers discovered that bioavailability can be controlled via the thickness of the enteric coating. These results provide a promising starting point towards further trials to develop an alternative, non-invasive mode for the delivery of insulin.

Biomaterials Advances, 2023