Diabetics sick of daily injections may have renewed hope for a less invasive alternative. Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a new delivery method for insulin where users just place a few drops under their tongue. A hallmark of diabetes is the inability to produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels.
Those with type 1, and many with type 2, will need insulin a few times a day, and that’s usually delivered through a subcutaneous injection. Not only is that uncomfortable, but it can be hard for patients to stick to, and creates potential biohazard waste. Less invasive methods are in development, with varying levels of success.
Experimental techniques include , or that deliver drugs straight through the skin, but the major avenue of research is . After all, popping a pill is simple, painless and something many people already do everyday. But again, there’s a few problems with that, too.
Insulin is a fragile molecule that doesn’t survive the journey through the stomach to the intestines, where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Encapsulating it in different materials can help, or even making capsules that into the lining, but going this way means insulin is first metabolized through the liver, which can change its structure. For the new study, the UBC team developed a new system that might still be called oral insulin.
Instead of being swallowed though, it takes the form of drops placed under the tongue. This method, know.