India’s largest biotechnology major Biocon today said the late-stage clinical trials of its experimental oral insulin drug to treat type-II diabetes has not met the desired results.
However, the company said it would continue with the development and initiate discussions for partnership with global pharmaceutical companies.
Biocon’s study drug — IN-105 — was in the final phase of clinical trials. A clinical trial is a health-related research study done in three phases. The study drug is administered on research subjects (real-time patients) by a team of investigators to prove its safety and efficacy, before the drug gets regulatory approvals and is widely available in the market.
Oral insulin is a novel drug research initiative of Biocon which aims to cure type-II diabetes in patients., insulin is taken. Biocon was hoping to bring about a sea change in how insulin is administered globally and oral insulin would have spared the pain for millions of diabetic patients who take insulin intravenously. If Biocon’s oral drug trials become successful it would be the first of its kind.
IN105 is a tablet using a proprietary polymer technology acquired by Biocon from US firm Nobex Corp. Nobex — whose IP assets were later bought by Biocon when it filed for bankruptcy in 2005 — had developed a technology that allows modifications to the insulin structure to make it suitable for oral delivery.