Oramed Pharmaceuticals
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Oramed Pharmaceuticals is a small Israeli based pharmaceutical company that is listed on the NASDAQ. It was co-founded in 2006 by Dr. Nadav Kidron and Dr. Miriam Kidron and is based in Jerusalem Israel. The company is focused on developing oral drug delivery systems for drugs currently delivered via injection using their Protein Oral Delivery (POD™ ) technology. Their flagship product is an orally ingestible insulin capsule which is still undergoing clinical trials. The POD™ technology can also be used to orally administer a number of protein-based therapies, which are available only via injection.
Oral insulin[edit]
Oramed (NASDAQ: ORMP) is developing a proprietary platform technology that allows for the oral delivery of insulin which is presently administered only via injection.
Injectable insulin which is the most widely used treatment for Diabetes has been available since 1923. It is an effective treatment but it does have its disadvantages. One of which is it is circulated throughout the body before reaching the liver. The result of this is that not all of it reaches the liver causing excess sugar to be stored in fat and muscle, which often results in weight gain and may also cause hypoglycemia.[1] Another disadvantage is that it needs to be regulated by the user through technological release modulators.
To avoid this several companies have attempted to produce an insulin treatment that is to be taken orally. Among them are industry giants Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca. The frontrunners in the race are Israel based Oramed and Novo Nordisk.[2]
In 2016 Oramed Pharmaceuticals ran a successful Phase II trial which included 180 patients with Type 2 Diabetes. The trial shows that their oral insulin has shown to significantly reduce night-time blood glucose levels. Although these results show promise, the drug can not be submitted for approval until it undergoes a much larger phase III trial.
The way the drug works
The challenge with oral insulin is proteins and peptides do not survive as they travel through the digestive system. Once it has been through the stomach it has to be absorbed via the intestinal wall. Oramed's ORMD-0181 uses a pH-sensitive enteric coating that is designed to protect the insulin while it travels through the stomach. It is designed to dissolve when it reaches the small intestine. It also includes a high enough dose so that even if the majority of it is destroyed, it will still deliver a clinically beneficial amount.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ Zehr, Leonard (23 August 2016). "Oramed hopes to start Phase 3 oral insulin trial next year". BioTuesdays. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- ↑ Winkler, Mayer (2016-07-08). "Oramed Is Now The First To Show Evidence That Insulin Can Be Taken Orally". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- ↑ Berkrot, Bill (18 May 2016). "Oramed says oral insulin succeeds in midstage type 2 diabetes trial". U.S. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
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