EMERGING STRATEGIES FOR ORAL DELIVERY OF INSULIN
Diabetes mellitus is a silent killer ailment which is the third leading cause of death all over the world. Its complications are responsible for excess of morbidity and mortality, loss of independence and reduced quality of life. Rates of diabetes have increased markedly over the last 50 years in parallel with obesity. Most of the people with either type I or type II diabetes all over the world use subcutaneous injections daily in order to control blood glucose level and eradicate ketoacidosis which is life threatening. Although these injections avoid many complications, however, they are highly inconvenient, lack of comfort and thus absence of patient compliance. Subcutaneous insulin treatment also does not replicate the normal dynamics of endogenous insulin release, resulting in failure to achieve a lasting glycemic control in diabetic patients. To overcome these shortcomings of subcutaneous insulin delivery, various advanced strategies have been developed in order to improve oral insulin therapy which is associated with better patient compliance as well as improving the bioavailability of the polypeptide molecule. Such delivery systems are associated with improved permeation of the molecules across the epithelial mucosa, inhibits the action of proteolytic enzymes, controls the insulin release rates, targeted drug delivery at the intestinal sites and most importantly patient compliance. The upcoming years will be enthralling in the form of more oral insulin preparations becoming accessible and reasonable to those thousands who are an awaiting for a boon from the stress of daily insulin injections