New Insulin Types – Better Diabetes Treatments in Future

New Insulin Types

Here are some new insulin inventions that are making rounds in recent health news.

Once-in-Four-Months Insulin

In near future, people with diabetes would not have to care about their daily shots of insulin. Better diabetes treatment has come in news in form of insulin injection that diabetics need to take once in every four months. Presently insulin injected as diabetes treatment can maintain the normal sugar levels up to 18 hrs only. Therefore, diabetics have to to take a daily dose (sometimes twice daily) of insulin injection to sustain the blood sugar levels.

This amazing insulin has been discovered by Scientists at the National Immunology Institute, New Delhi, India headed by Dr Avadhesha Surolia. According to Dr Surolia, the new insulin is based on new principles of 'protein folding' and is capable of producing insulin molecules in a controlled and sustained manner for over 120 days. The newly discovered insulin has been sent to an US based company for further clinical trials and will be launched in the market in a period of six years from now. The team of scientists had already patented the new efficient insulin for diabetes treatment.

Needle less Insulin Without Need of Refrigeration

Needle Free Insulin

A team comprising a chemist and her few colleagues at Monash University have done research to develop a type of insulin that could be delivered by pill. Thus, it can be said the painless diabetes treatment without needles and refrigerated insulin. The team has successfully strengthened insulin's chemical structure without affecting its activity. It has even filed a series of patents with the support of their long-term commercial partner ASX-listed Circadian Technologies and are in the process of negotiating with pharmaceutical companies so that the new insulin could be introduced to the pharma markets. The new insulin was presented through Fresh Science, a communication 'boot camp' for early-career scientists held at the Melbourne Museum.

Insulin that can be Inhaled

Inhaler Insulin

AFREZZA™ is a new ultra-rapid acting mealtime insulin that is orally inhaled for absorption through the lung. As the new insulin is absorbed so rapidly, it closely acts similar to the normal early insulin response seen in healthy individuals. This amazing diabetes treatment – the inhaler insulin- was presented at the 239th American Chemical Society National Meeting held in San Francisco, California, USA during March 2010 and is awaiting approval by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This new insulin uses the Technosphere® technology- a delivery technology that is applicable to a wide variety of other drugs that are currently injected. Just as insulin, these medications are proteins that are digested and destroyed in the stomach if taken by mouth. The inhaling insulin will be available in form of dry powder. Diabetics would be able to inhale a small amount (a pinch) of the powder with the help of a thumb-sized device. This insulin powder would dissolve immediately after inhalation and the drug will be absorbed into the patient's bloodstream for diabetes treatment. AFREZZA™ also controls glucose as well as poses a lower risk of hypoglycemia than that typically associated with mealtime insulin therapy. It also leads to less weight gain compared to other insulin treatments as claimed by MannKind Corporation