Orally active insulin mimics: where do we stand now?

The war against diabetes through the development of new drugs is an ongoing continuous process to counter the alarming global increase in the prevalence of diabetes and its complications, particularly in developing countries like India. Unfortunately, the speed with which our knowledge of diabetes and its effects is expanding is not matched by the availability of new drugs. Following the identification of the insulin receptor (IR), its intrinsic kinase activity and molecular cloning, many studies have looked at IR as an ideal drug target. This review summarizes in brief the latest advancements in this field with particular reference to the current situation in respect of the development of orally active insulin mimetics in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.