This capsule is the size of a large pill and contains medication sealed inside. The capsule is radio-labeled so that it can be tracked as passes through the GI tract using gamma scintograpy . When the capsule reaches the desired area a radio signal is used to activate the capsule, opening tiny gates in the surface and releasing the drug. Polymer technology is just one method of increasing the pharmacokinetics of large molecule drugs. Another method of bypassing the detrimental effects of the stomach on large molecules is to find other areas of the body that can allow access of drugs to the bloodstream.
Oral delivery is limited for large molecules because they are digested in the stomach.
Nasal and transdermal deliveries are inefficient because large molecules cannot cross the membrane into the bloodstream. This is a drug matrix that is used on the oral mucosa to enhance absorption of the drugs into the bloodstream. Several companies are working on iontophoresis, a process that uses electic currents to move molecules across the skin. These companies include Hisamitu Pharma and Iomed Clinical Systems. Several companies are working on using the lungs as a new area for large molecule delivery.