A pill that could replace traditional injections has successfully passed its first tests in humans, according to the company that developed it.
“It’s completely painless,” says Mir Imran, the head of San Jose, California-based Rani Therapeutics. “Not a single patient felt anything.”
He says the results provide hope for millions of people -such as diabetics– offer those looking for an alternative to painful injections. It is estimated that one in ten people are afraid of needles.
The RaniPill, as it is called, looks like a larger version of a regular pill. When swallowed, it passes through the stomach untouched. The outer shell only dissolves in the less acidic environment of the intestine.
When this happens, a small balloon inflates, pushes a small needle into the muscular wall of the intestine, and injects the medication that carries the pill. The balloon then deflates and the remains of the pill are excreted. The intestine has no receptors for sharp pain and heals very quickly.
In a study in Australia, 52 people received RaniPills containing octreotide, a drug used to treat certain cancers and growth disorders. They felt no pain or discomfort, and the pill was just as effective at delivering the medicine as traditional shots.
Currently, octreotide is given as a large injection into the gluteal muscle once a month. “Patients describe it as incredibly painful,” says Imran.
Many medications, such as insulin, are destroyed in the intestines when swallowed and must be injected directly. But people who hate needles often delay or skip injections and can develop serious complications as a result. A painless alternative to injections should reduce the risk of this and make people's lives more comfortable.
According to Imran, Rani Therapeutics is in discussions with major pharmaceutical companies and regulators in the US and EU and the company is planning further studies this year. It focuses on initially injecting nine drugs with the pill, including octreotide and insulin.
“The development of oral insulin would be a breakthrough in simplifying the treatment of diabetes,” says Edward Johnston of Diabetes UK.
However, he notes that the full results of the RaniPill study have yet to be published. “It is also important to note that this system needs extensive studies in people with diabetes to truly understand its functionality as a replacement for insulin injections,” says Johnston.
Other researchers are also working on similar systems as an alternative to syringes. A team has developed a pill designed to inject medication into the stomach lining rather than the intestines. However, so far they have only been tested on animals.
