The Hindu : National : Chitra Tirunal institute developing oral insulin

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Friday, Sep 28, 2007
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Chitra Tirunal institute developing oral insulin

P. Sunderarajan

NEW DELHI: There is some good news for insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Soon, they may not have to undergo painful jabs of insulin injection to keep their sugar levels under control. They may just have to pop in a tablet or gulp down a spoon of the medicine.

Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology has successfully demonstrated the possibility of developing an oral insulin preparation in experiments on mice and is now getting ready to conduct clinical trials with human subjects to establish its efficacy and viability.

Disclosing this, Director of the Institute K.Mohandas said the technology was based on the cutting edge science of nanotechnology. The technology, which recently cleared the proof of concept stage in experiments with mice, has been transferred to US Vitamin, a Mumbai-based company for further development. “We are now getting ready to conduct clinical trials in association with US Vitamin. We will decide whether it should be a tablet or in a liquid form later.”

Artificial heart valve

Speaking to reporters here, he said the Institute was also in the process of developing a new artificial heart valve that would help the patients to undergo MRI scans if required. The new valve will make this possible as its casing would be made of Titanium. Now, the casing is made of a cobalt-chromium alloy. Chennai-based TTK Health Care, which is producing and marketing the present valve, is also involved in the development of the new valve. The new valve is expected to cost about Rs. 16,000 a piece, almost the same as the present valve.

Meanwhile, the Union Science and Technology Ministry has put out a draft of a proposed legislation to regulate the medical devices industry in the country on its website for eliciting public opinion before taking it to Parliament for approval. The legislation is aimed at increasing the share of domestic manufacturers in the growing industry, both within and outside the country, by setting out standards for the devices. Announcing this, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal noted that 85 per cent of the medical devices market in India was presently accounted for by imports since in the absence of standards, doctors and medical institutions preferred to go in for imported devices than those developed and manufactured by the domestic industry.

“The industry is now valued at Rs. 15,000 crore, with an annual growth rate of 12 to 14 per cent. Of this, imports accounted for 85 per cent. We want to change the situation and ensure that the share of domestic industry increased to at least 50 per cent in the next 10 years.”

The proposed legislation would, among other things, have provision for certifying imported devices and the standards prescribed under it would be on a par with global norms. It would also cover diagnostic kits for various diseases, apart from medical devices.

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