Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Biomaterials (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.celbio.2026.100460
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a new approach to delivering GLP-1 medications orally that does not require fasting and maintains their efficacy. The technique could also be useful for any pharmaceutical based on peptides such as insulin or treatments for irritable bowel syndrome, HIV and osteoporosis.
The research appeared online May 13 in the journal Cell Biomaterials.
Why peptide drugs are injected
Peptides are essentially strings of amino acids too short to form proteins. The human body naturally produces at least 7,000 of them that carry out a wide range of functions like healing, hormone regulation and muscle growth. There are dozens of FDA-approved peptide-based medications, including insulin for diabetes and the increasingly popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss.
