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Indian scientists have developed a thermostable version of insulin that does not need refrigeration
What’s going on
- A team of scientists from India’s leading chemistry laboratories have developed a thermostable version of insulin that does not require refrigeration, a major breakthrough in the field as portability has always been a problem for diabetic patients.
- This result was achieved in a four-year study supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of India and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. In the near future, scientists hope to launch the drug into mass production with the help of these organizations.
- According to the researchers, the new version of insulin will be able to withstand temperatures up to 65°C, while previously it had to be stored at 4°C.
- Such an achievement was made possible by the introduction of a matrix of four amino acid peptide molecules inside the insulin molecules, which made it possible to prevent their hardening even in a chilled state.
- Currently, this version of insulin is called “insulock” (“insulating layer”), but researchers have already submitted an application to the Indian Department of Science and Technology for registration of the drug under the name Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, after the famous Bengali scientist.
What does it mean
According to the International Diabetes Federation, 2019 million adults suffered from the disease in 463, and the organization predicts that number will increase to 700 million in 2045. Although diabetes is treatable and regular monitoring and treatment of complications help delay its negative effects, the high prevalence of the disease in low- and middle-income countries continues to increase the number of patients with diabetes.
One of the most common methods of treating diabetes is insulin therapy, but in this case, patients are forced to be tied to injections all their lives, and storing and carrying the drug causes some inconvenience for an insulin-dependent person, primarily due to the fact that insulin requires unquestioning compliance. cold chain storage. However, thanks to a new invention by Indian scientists, this is no longer a problem.
The development of an analogue of insulin that does not require refrigeration is also being conducted by the American laboratory Thermalin. The company promises to release the drug T-1123, which will even provide customers with a form of medication to take with food, which can be used for more than a year without any refrigeration.