Dr Ashley Ng

Several weeks ago, I had an opportunity to speak to the media about my thoughts on an oral insulin medication compared to insulin injections. I didn’t have much time to think about the scenario. The first thing that came to mind was not having to deal with the pain and bruising from needles. Even with a nifty inserter for my insulin pump cannula and CGM that hides the needle, I still dread pushing the button and brace for impact. And you never always get it right. Sometimes you hit something that absolutely stings or you get a bleeder. Either way, it’s not fun and can get messy.

Then I talked about how amazing it would be to just be able to carry around tablets rather than an insulin pump or pens. Think of all that extra luggage space you get when you’re travelling! In all seriousness, having tablets would reduce the mental load of ensuring you have enough spare pens or needle tips with you. Not having an insulin pump would be freedom to wear whatever clothes you want without worrying about where you’re going to put your pump. On top of that, I could reduce my private health insurance premiums by a bucket load if I didn’t need an insulin pump. Although, that’s assuming this oral insulin tablet is somewhat subsidised if/when it comes on the market.

That was the interview done. It aired. People were excitedly tagging me in things and saying they saw me on tele. I got my two minutes of fame and it was fun. Me, being me, kept replaying the interview in my head and thinking about what else I could have said. Then it hit me.

Life with diabetes without insulin injections would reduce an element of stigma and fear commonly associated with diabetes. It would make diabetes management much more discrete. People wouldn’t feel ashamed or judged when taking their medication in public or the need to hide away in dirty public bathrooms to take their insulin. Without insulin injections there to be used as a threat by prescribing doctors, I wonder how they would tackle the conversation around diabetes management. I mean, they would probably just jump straight to the threats of losing a leg or eyesight.

Having oral insulin tablets rather than insulin injections will change so many aspects about diabetes management. It would definitely be an interesting landscape to see. So I wish the researchers all the best in their clinical trials – and maybe in 5 years time, we would all be using oral insulin tablets!