Does Insulin Come in a Pill?

                               

I have often been asked an interesting question. Does insulin come in a pill?  It doesn't. Wouldn't be so much easier if it did.

Insulin is a protein. If it came in pill form the stomach would digest it. It would never make it to the blood in the form it needs to be.

Also, how could it be timed to achieve good blood sugar control? A persons insulin needs change from meal to meal and day to day.

There are pills (sulfonylureas) on the market that increase the amount of insulin the body makes but none are actually insulin.

In the past, for a short time, inhaled insulin was available.  Problems arose with dosing and airway aggravation so it was taken off the market. Currently, insulin is only available in shot form.