Genteric's insulin Gene Pill patented in USA

The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent number 6,225,290 toGenteric covering the oral delivery of non-viral DNA encoding the human insulin gene, which the company claims can be used as a treatment for diabetes. The Gene Pill technology uses the patients' own gastrointestinal organs to convert genes into therapeutic proteins which can then be distributed by the body. In this case, the therapy would replace injection-based delivery of insulin. According to Genteric's vice president of research, Rolland Scollay, the Gene Pill technology also has the potential to treat a wide variety of other diseases, such as growth hormone deficiency, hemophilia, Gaucher's disease, autoimmune disease, cancer and bacterial and viral infections.