Georgia Tech engineers have created self-pressurized oral capsules that could potentially deliver insulin and other injectable drugs.
The research, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, aimed to enable oral delivery of biologics through a convective force as a physical method to overcome the barriers of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The engineers designed oral capsules that self-pressurize in the GIT, mechanically fail at a specific pressure, and eject lyophilized drug with sufficient velocity to penetrate the mucosal barrier.
The oral, self-pressurized aerosol (OSPRAE) was produced by a coated gelatin capsule filled with pressure-generating effervescent excipients and drug in a biodegradable polymer chamber. After initial optimization in vitro, OSPRAE allowed for insulin delivery to surgically exposed intestinal mucosa in vivo with similar pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to subcutaneous injection in rats, despite lower bioavailability.
The study introduced a new approach to oral delivery that harnesses the power of an active mechanism to forcefully deliver biologics in the GIT, by employing materials commonly used in oral formulations and a manufacturing process that builds on conventional oral capsules. Future studies should expand on these findings to further optimize delivery, assess safety, and explore application to novel medical therapies.