The buccal tablet platform is designed to deliver insulin and semaglutide through the cheek, but both investigational treatments still require safety and efficacy testing.
Insu Therapeutics has received a US patent allowance that could strengthen its push to bring needle-free peptide medicines to market, according to announcements from Hydreight Technologies, which holds a strategic investment in the company. The allowance covers Insu’s buccal delivery platform, a system designed to place medication inside the cheek, where it can be absorbed through the mouth rather than swallowed or injected.
The technology sits behind two investigational products: InsuTab, intended to deliver insulin, and BuccaGLP, aimed at semaglutide, the active ingredient in several widely used obesity and diabetes medicines. Hydreight said the platform uses layered tablets with a mucoadhesive design, meaning they stick to the cheek lining and release drug particles in a single direction towards surrounding tissue. By avoiding the digestive tract, the approach is meant to sidestep the absorption problems that often limit peptide drugs taken by mouth.
According to Hydreight and other reports on the filing, the allowed patent application is titled “Mucoadhesive Pharmaceutical Dosage Form for Unidirectional Release of Peptide Therapeutic Particles”. The protection adds weight to an intellectual property portfolio that already includes an exclusive worldwide licence from the University of British Columbia, where earlier laboratory, cell-culture and animal research helped develop the concept. Insu has said the platform could also be adapted for other peptide medicines, including several GLP-1 drugs and insulin analogues.
For Hydreight, the development may have commercial value beyond the science itself. The company has said its C$300,000 investment in Insu, completed in March 2026, came with US distribution rights for peptide medicines built on the buccal platform, while still leaving room for broader licensing or partnership deals. Even so, both InsuTab and BuccaGLP remain unapproved, and the companies will still need to show safety and effectiveness before either formulation can move into routine use.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
