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Ultrasound pill can help eliminate regular insulin injections
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Americans have created an ultrasound tablet that promotes accelerated absorption of medication in the digestive tract. The uPill device was developed by ZetrOZ with the participation of specialists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Pharmacologically active substances will be applied externally to the electronic filling of the tablet, enclosed in a capsule. After taking the tablet, the device begins to generate ultrasound waves during its passage through the gastrointestinal tract.
According to Daniel Anderson, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ultrasound heats up tissues, increases the permeability of cell membranes, and as a result, the rate of absorption of a drug can increase up to 10 times compared to the initial level.
The developers propose using uPill in combination with drugs made from protein molecules. This group includes insulin preparations, many vaccines, and also drugs for the treatment of oncological diseases. The creators of the pill expect that the use of the device will allow diabetics to refuse regular insulin injections and take it orally.
One of the founders of ZetrOZ, George Lewis, in turn, noted that the company had previously created an ultrasound patch that provides transdermal delivery of drugs into the body. According to him, the key task in developing uPill was to further reduce the size of the device to make it suitable for oral administration.
The developers are currently conducting clinical trials of the ultrasound pill on animals. Anderson expressed hope that uPill will be released to the market within a few years. According to him, the market price of the device will be between $20 and $30.