This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Today I'm talking about oral semaglutide. We're used to once-weekly semaglutide, but now we have this oral form that's making its way into the marketplace.
It's important because it may expand the use of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy into primary care in ways that haven't been done before. And hopefully, more patients can benefit from this class of drug.
What I find interesting is how this medication is formulated. Oral semaglutide is coformulated within a tablet that has an absorption enhancer. This absorption enhancer is sodium N-[8-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)amino] caprylate, or SNAC, for short. SNAC facilitates semaglutide absorption in the stomach by increasing the local pH, which leads to increased drug solubility and protects against proteolytic degradation.
The stomach is obviously very acidic, and that breaks down all of these peptide hormones, so you can't give them orally. SNAC helps to create an interesting kind of microenvironment within the stomach mucosa that allows for absorption of semaglutide or any other large molecule that you mix with it, so now you get a circulating level of the hormone.
This is a new and seemingly effective way of giving a GLP-1 receptor agonist. There have been many
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COMMENTARY
Oral Semaglutide Brings GLP-1s to Primary Care
Anne L. Peters, MD
DisclosuresNovember 21, 2019
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Today I'm talking about oral semaglutide. We're used to once-weekly semaglutide, but now we have this oral form that's making its way into the marketplace.
It's important because it may expand the use of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy into primary care in ways that haven't been done before. And hopefully, more patients can benefit from this class of drug.
What I find interesting is how this medication is formulated. Oral semaglutide is coformulated within a tablet that has an absorption enhancer. This absorption enhancer is sodium N-[8-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)amino] caprylate, or SNAC, for short. SNAC facilitates semaglutide absorption in the stomach by increasing the local pH, which leads to increased drug solubility and protects against proteolytic degradation.
The stomach is obviously very acidic, and that breaks down all of these peptide hormones, so you can't give them orally. SNAC helps to create an interesting kind of microenvironment within the stomach mucosa that allows for absorption of semaglutide or any other large molecule that you mix with it, so now you get a circulating level of the hormone.
This is a new and seemingly effective way of giving a GLP-1 receptor agonist. There have been many
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Cite this: Anne L. Peters. Oral Semaglutide Brings GLP-1s to Primary Care - Medscape - Nov 21, 2019.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author(s)
Anne L. Peters, MD
Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine, Keck School of Medicine; Director, University of Southern California WEstside Center for Diabetes, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) on the advisory board for: Abbott Diabetes Care; Becton Dickinson; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Livongo; Medscape; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novo Nordisk; Omada Health; OptumHealth; sanofi; Zafgen
Received research support from: Dexcom; MannKind Corporation; Astra Zeneca
Serve(d) as a member of a speakers bureau for: Novo Nordisk