Systemic absorption of insulin from a Gelfoam ocular device

In previous reports (Lee et al., 1997b; Lee and Yalkowsky, 1999), it has been shown that insulin, delivered by an acidified Gelfoam (absorbable gelatin sponge, USP) based ocular device, can be efficiently absorbed into the systemic circulation without the aid of an absorption enhancer. The role of acid in the enhancer-free absorption of insulin is investigated in this report. Gelfoam ocular devices containing 0.2 mg of sodium insulin prepared with either water or 10% acetic acid were evaluated in rabbits. The results suggest that a change in the Gelfoam upon treatment with acid is responsible for the efficient systemic absorption of insulin from these enhancer-free devices.