Delivery of peptides by the oral route greatly appeals due to commercial, patient convenience and scientific arguments. While there are over 60 injectable peptides marketed worldwide, and many more in development, most delivery strategies do not yet adequately overcome the barriers to oral delivery. Peptides are sensitive to chemical and enzymatic degradation in the intestine, and are poorly permeable across the intestinal epithelium due to sub-optimal physicochemical properties. A successful oral peptide delivery technology should protect potent peptides from presystemic degradation and improve epithelial permeation to achieve a target oral bioavailability with acceptable intra-subject variability. This review provides a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the current status of oral peptide delivery with an emphasis on patented formulations that are yielding promising clinical data.
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