Oral delivery of proteins: progress and prognostication

The delivery of proteins has gained momentum with the development of biotechnology sector that provided large-scale availability of therapeutic proteins. The availability is mostly due to the advances in recombinant DNA technology. The low oral bioavailability, however, continues to be a problem for several proteins because of their large molecular size, low permeation through biological membranes, and susceptibility to molecular changes in both biological and physical environments. The demand for effective delivery of proteins by the oral route has brought a tremendous thrust in recent years both in the scope and complexity of drug delivery technology. The important therapeutic proteins and peptides being explored for oral delivery include insulin, calcitonin, interferons, human growth hormone, glucagons, gonadotropin-releasing hormones, enkephalins, vaccines, enzymes, hormone analogs, and enzyme inhibitors. This article reviews the progress in oral delivery of these proteins, provides comments on the strategies to improve their oral bioavailability, and highlights their current market trends.