An innovative polymer offers the possibility of administering insulin without the need for injections, providing a less evasive and potentially more comfortable option for patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus.
Transdermal insulin administration could improve treatment adherence, reduce pain associated with injections, and reduce related skin complications.
This approach would allow increasing drug concentration and minimizing first-pass metabolism.
Challenges in skin penetration
Traditionally, insulin and other large biomolecules have faced significant barriers to their absorption through the skin, limited to spaces such as hair follicles and sweat glands.
Generally administered by intradermal injection, insulin is painful to apply and can induce fear of needles and cause skin complications.
The poly polymer[2-(N-óxido-N,N-dimetilamino)etil metacrilato] (OP) demonstrates exceptional skin permeability, allowing effective diffusion of insulin into the bloodstream. Its structure allows a change in the state of charge during passage through the layers of the skin, favoring this absorption.
Study results
Researchers have verified the rapid diffusion of OP and its conjugate with insulin in animal models, showing notably higher absorption compared to traditional methods. The findings point to effective normalization of blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetes models.
The results indicate that OP-I not only mimics the effect of native insulin but also exhibits an extended half-life, suggesting a promising new approach for non-invasive insulin delivery.
Estimated cost of treatment
The estimated cost of treatment with insulin injections can vary depending on the type of insulin and the regimen, but generally ranges from approximately $50 to $111 per year for human insulin and can reach approximately $72 to $111 per year for insulin analogues, including supplies such as reusable syringes or pens.
In contrast, although a specific exact cost is not available for the new treatment with transdermal polymer, it is mentioned that oral or transdermal administration with polymers usually has a relatively low cost for the health system, since it does not require inputs associated with injections, which could imply a reduction in indirect costs of the treatment.
Therefore, treatment with the new polymer for non-invasive insulin delivery has the potential to be more economical or cost-competitive compared to traditional injections, especially considering the reduction in disposable materials and complications associated with injections. However, exact costs depend on commercialization and scale production of this new technology, for which no specific data is yet available.
Traditional insulin treatment costs:
- Injectable human insulin: between $50 and $111 annually, depending on the type and number of doses.
- Analog insulin: between $72 and $111 annually with supplies included.
- Some regimens may have higher costs depending on region and access to the medication.
Potential cost of transdermal polymer treatment:
- Polymer-based systems for oral or cutaneous insulin administration do not require injection materials, reducing associated costs.
- The technology is recent and a definitive commercial cost is not yet available.
- It could offer a competitive cost to the health system due to lower administration complexity.
Towards a future without needles
The development of this polymer opens the door to the possibility of friendlier treatments for diabetic patients, eliminating the need for daily injections and improving the quality of life of these patients.
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