Chinese Drugmaker Gets Green Light to Trial Israeli Insulin Capsules
Dou Shicong
DATE:  Mar 29 2019
/ SOURCE:  yicai
Chinese Drugmaker Gets Green Light to Trial Israeli Insulin Capsules Chinese Drugmaker Gets Green Light to Trial Israeli Insulin Capsules

(Yicai Global) March 29 -- Chinese medicine maker Hefei Tianmai Biotechnology Development has obtained regulatory approval to conduct human clinical trials of an oral diabetes treatment developed by Israel's Oramed Pharmaceuticals.

The National Medical Products Administration has greenlit the insulin pill, ORMD-0801, which could greatly improve the lives of diabetes patients, Beijing News reported yesterday. Ning Guang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, will preside over the trials.

"China is speeding up approval procedures for new drugs," Ning said, adding that the ORMD-0801 trials are beginning at the same time the United States is starting third-phase tests of the drug. "China will finish phase three trials within two years," he continued.

There are around 425 million diabetic adults worldwide and about 114 million are in China, where the incident rate is higher than 10 percent, according to a 2017 survey by the International Diabetes Federation. Insulin injections have long been the main treatment for the ailment, but frequent shots can lead to pain and a reduced quality of life.

Oramed's capsules resolve issues with protein and peptide degradation and inconsistencies in drug absorption, Ning added, saying it has already undergone trials in the US, Israel and South Africa and has proven safe and effective.

Tianmai Biotechnology has transformed production methods for the tablets and finished work on the production line on March 26, said Chairman Gao Xiaoming, adding that the company can manufacture the drug independently from raw materials right through to the finished product.

Editor: James Boynton

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Keywords:   Oramed Pharmaceuticals,Healthcare