Stanford University engineers have created an injectable hydrogel depot technology that allows GLP-1 drugs to be administered once every four months, rather than requiring daily injections. This new hydrogel has the potential to revolutionize treatment for type 2 diabetes and weight management by significantly reducing the burden of daily injections.
The hydrogel drug delivery system was developed by materials engineers at Stanford University and turns daily or weekly injections of drugs like Ozempic, Maunjaro, Trulicity, and Victoza into a single injection every four months. This new system could greatly improve patient compliance and health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, as well as providing a more manageable treatment regimen.
The hydrogel contains GLP-1 drug molecules and slowly releases them over time, eliminating the need for frequent injections. This novel nanocomposite hydrogel is made of polymers and nanoparticles that dissolve over the course of several months, similar to how a sugar cube dissolves in water. Once the hydrogel is injected under the skin, it gradually releases the drug as it dissolves, providing sustained delivery over a four-month period.
Initial testing in laboratory rats has shown promising results, and future trials will be conducted on pigs to further validate the system’s effectiveness. The ultimate goal is to conduct human clinical trials within the next two years to evaluate the long-term administration of GLP-1-based treatments.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and a seed grant from the Stanford Diabetes Research Center.
Source: scitechdaily.com
