Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., focused on the development of oral drug delivery systems including an oral insulin pill based on Hadassah Medical Center research, has received a patent from the Israel Patent Office for its invention, “Methods and Compositions for Oral Administrations of Exenatide.”
Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog, is a hormone which induces insulin release at increased glucose levels and causes a feeling of satiety, resulting in reduced food intake and weight loss. Currently, it is only marketed in injectable form. Oramed’s oral GLP-1 capsule, according to Oramed, could significantly increase compliance and become a valuable tool in the treatment of diabetes.
Oramed was founded in 2006 by Dr. Miriam Kidron, a senior researcher in the Diabetes Unit at Hadassah, who continues to serve as the company’s chief scientist. A pharmacologist and biochemist, Dr. Kidron earned her PhD in biochemistry from the Hadassah-Hebrew University and earned the Bern Schlanger Award for her work in diabetes research. Formerly a visiting professor at the Medical School at the University of Toronto, she is a member of the American, European, and Israeli diabetes associations.
Oramed’s Protein Oral Delivery (PODTM) technology is based on over 30 years of research by top scientists at Hadassah. Oramed is seeking to revolutionize the treatment of diabetes through its proprietary flagship product, an orally ingestible insulin capsule (ORMD-0801). Having completed separate Phase IIa clinical trials, the company anticipates the initiation of separate Phase IIb clinical trials, in patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, under an Investigational New Drug application with the United States Food and Drug Administration.
For more information about Oramed and the oral insulin pill, see