New treatment options discussed at the June 2002 meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) included pills, a skin patch, a mouth spray and several versions of inhaled insulin delivery systems.

Two companies are testing pills that use special technology to get the large insulin molecule into the bloodstream after swallowing. The skin patch involves a two-step process; first, a small patch painlessly creates microscopic openings in the skin; then another patch with a reservoir of insulin is applied to the skin and releases the insulin steadily over 12 hours.

Another option is an oral spray device, which looks like the inhalers used by people with asthma. It releases aerosolized insulin for absorption by the mucous membranes in the cheeks, tongue and throat. Five companies described progress with inhaled insulin products. Each has different features, but all deliver a dose of insulin in liquid or dry powder form through the mouth, directly into the lungs, where it enters the bloodstream.

All of these products are several years away from government approval and marketing. But they do offer new, easier alternatives to insulin shots for the future.

Related information Latest developments

Source:  ADA. No more insulin shots: new technologies. ADA meeting report, June 17, 2002.