A team led by Professor Avadesh Surolia, director of National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, has developed a nanotised insulin for sustained treatment of diabetes. The insulin has passed pre-clinical trials and is ready for clinical trials.

Once the nano insulin is available, diabetics will need to take the injection only once a week or 10 days instead of daily. “Many diabetes patients are tired of taking 2-3 injections per day.

The nano injection, once ready, will be a huge relief. We have tied-up with a US firm for clinical trials and the development of the final product.

It may take two-three years,” said Prof. Surolia on the sidelines of Nanobio, the international conference on nanotechnology at the bio-medical interface organised by the Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine in Kochi on Tuesday.

“Insulin has a short lifespan in blood circulation and degrades easily due to proteolytic enzymes. That is why a much larger quantity of insulin needs to be administered to a patient in the conventional style.

For nanotised insulin, millions of insulin molecules are bundled together, like bundles of currency notes, which prevent easy degradation in blood. It is released the way currency notes are released from bundles,” the professor added.

He said that the nano injection will be taken subcutaneously. It also reduces secondary complications of diabetes.