Oral protein delivery: a patent review of academic and industrial approaches

Protein therapeutics are used in the treatment of a broad variety of diseases, however, usually they are not available as peroral formulations. Oral delivery systems of proteins including insulin, glucagon like peptide, calcitonin or parathyroid hormone are highly demanded by patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes or osteoporosis. The need for oral protein formulations has been recognized by researchers of various scientific disciplines and a number of patents have been filed that deal with technologies capable of facilitating oral protein delivery. Within the current review, patents based on approaches such as particulate delivery systems, multifunctional polymers, enzyme inhibitors, permeation enhancers and ligand-specific binding and uptake are discussed. In addition, the technology platforms of several innovative drug delivery companies are highlighted.