Indian biotech firm’s needle-free oral insulin attracts global interest

India-based NiedlFree Technologies has announced a major breakthrough in developing a needle-free alternative to injectable insulin for diabetic patients, replacing insulin injections with an oral and nasal spray.

The company, headquartered in Hyderabad, said that its product—Ozulin—will serve as an effective option for patients seeking painless alternatives to insulin injections.

The company, in a statement, said it expects Ozulin to enter the market by 2025-2026.

“Using this unique technology, we can deliver peptides and proteins, which are larger drugs either nasally or orally,” Vishwanath Toshniwal, promoter director of NiedlFree Technologies, told Press Insider.

He added that his company aims to target several diseases, including Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and oncology, which require hospital admission for drug administration through the IV route.

Stressing the limitless use of this technology, Toshniwal said it can be used to administer growth hormones in children having certain deficiencies through a nasal or oral spray.

“It will provide huge relief to children,” he added.

Toshniwal mentioned ongoing discussions with two European companies interested in adopting a similar technology for their proprietary molecules.

“We are hopeful of signing this deal by the end of this year,” he said.

Toshniwal added that another US-based company working in the pet insulin domain has also shown interest in tying up this technology.

Speaking about Ozulin, he expressed confidence in moving to human trials and acquiring the necessary licenses, emphasizing that all the ingredients used in formulating the spray are approved for human usage.

The company successfully conducted a study in canines at Palamur Biosciences that gave ample proof of the effectiveness of oral insulin, he said. The company claimed that the bio-availability is more than 91.48 %, comparable with the injectable route and thus demonstrating exciting prospects for developing effective treatment for diabetics.

He shared that oral and nasal sprays are effective technology and will play a critical role in removing needles from medical waste and will play a role in saving the environment; he added, “

Underlining the effectiveness of oral and nasal sprays as a pivotal advancement in reducing the use of needles in medical waste, thereby contributing to environmental conservation, Toshniwal said, “Millions of needles are used to deliver different kinds of drugs, and if thrown away precariously, they may lead to injuries or serious health problems to people who handle medical waste.”

The global market for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes treatment is estimated to be around $78 billion in 2022 with nearly 540 million adults (20-79 years) living with diabetes. In India, over 100 million people are estimated to be suffering from diabetes and an additional 136 million people are pre-diabetic, with a higher risk of developing diabetes in near future, according to a study by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and Indian Council of Medical Research.