China to launch world’s first oral insulin for Type-2 diabetes: Report

China is soon likely to become the world’s first country with oral insulin availability, according to a report on Friday. After successfully completing Phase III trials of oral insulin, China’s Hefei Tianhui Biotechnology (HTIT) submitted a marketing authorisation application (MAA) to the country’s National Medical Products Administration. Oramed’s US-based ORA-D-013-1 Phase III trial for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes showed significant lowering of A1C levels, which reflects the average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. HTIT is a strategic partner of Israeli company Oramed Pharmaceuticals. “Oral insulin is a paradigm shift from the traditional injectable insulin market. Therefore, there would be a lot of opportunities and challenges in the commercialisation of oral insulins,” said Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, in a statement.