‘Miracle’ pill developed to replace insulin shots for diabetics

Insulin shot. File photo

Millions of people suffering from diabetes may no longer have to endure the pain of injecting themselves with insulin. Scientists have come up with a new miracle pill that would help manage blood sugar levels.

According to a New York Post report, experts from Niagara University in New York have found a quick and painless way of taking insulin orally, instead of the traditionally used insulin injections.

The capsule, called “Cholestosome,” travels through the stomach before breaking down and releasing insulin to the blood stream, the report said.

“A Cholestosome is a neutral, lipid-based particle that is capable of doing some interesting things,” research leader Profesor Mary McCourt explained.

To make the drug work, scientists had to find a way to overcome the biggest barrier when it comes to taking insulin orally—stomach acid.

The body’s natural gastric juices normally break down pills before they reach the blood stream. However, Cholestosome is reportedly made out of a casing from naturally occurring lipid molecules, which normally helps build fat.

The lipids form neutral particles that are resistant to stomach acid, so that the tiny packages of the wonder drug could pass through the stomach without degrading.

Once the pills pass through the intestines and into the bloodstream, they will be taken in by the cells and broken apart to release the insulin.

McCourt and her team, meanwhile, are expected to present their findings at the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia next week, before conducting more animal testing and potentially start human trials.

Earlier experiments with lab rats showed that certain Cholestosomes loaded with insulin have high ‘’bioability,’’ which means they reached the bloodstream and traveled where the insulin needed to be.

Inhalable insulin was approved for therapeutic use in the US in 2006, but its sales eventually flopped and was pulled out of shelves, despite positive reviews from users.

Once the drug is regulated, McCourt hopes to put an end to the painful daily injections that diabetics endure just to keep their blood-sugar levels at bay.  Khristian Ibarrola

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