Biocon's oral insulin will take few more yrs to hit mkt: Shaw

Biocon my take a few more years to launch its oral insulin in the Indian market, said company's Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw here today.

"We are developing hopefully the world's first oral insulin and it will take a few more years for it to hit the market," said Mazumdar Shaw, indicating the product could take a little longer for the global launch.

Stating that the clinical trials for the oral insulin is underway in India, USA and Europe, the bio-pharmaceutical company's boss, however, declined to spell out how much the firm had invested for the research and development of oral insulin.

"We have invested a lot. I can only say that."

According to Biocon, oral insulin is simple, painless and delivered through the portal vein, mimicking the natural physiology of the body.

"If successful in the clinic, oral insulin could become a very important therapy for millions of patients suffering from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) worldwide."

Biocon is developing IN-105 – a conjugated insulin molecule that is orally delivered and targeted towards liver, which is a central organ in glucose metabolism.

Mazumdar Shaw was in Chennai to launch an initiative to provide women the "knowledge, tools and support" necessary to combat challenges to good health including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

The initiative was led by Women2Women, a women's collective.