A pill for diabetes may put an end to sufferers having to use a needle.
Diabetology, a small British research and development company, have been working for many years to try and erase the use of a needle from the management of diabetes.
It has bee reported that the company have been sucessful. By enclosing the insulin in a capusule that avoids being broken down by stomach acids the capsule passes in tack through into the small intestine.
Here the capsule dissolves releasing the insulin through the intestine wall where it is transported to the liver.
An estimated 2.3 million suffer from diabetes her in England and this predicted to rise to 2.5 million by 2010.
Dr Iain Frame, research manager at Diabetes UK, said: "There are currently 700,000 people in the UK who take insulin injections, sometime up to four times a day, so being able to take their insulin orally would have a great impact on their quality of life.
This research however, is still in its early stages. We would like to see further results.
The results of their research will be presented at a conference in America by Dr Steve Luzio.