Replies to post #66073 on Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

>BIOD – Adding a chelator (EDTA), in the presence of citric acid (btw, that could be the cause for the injection site pain)<

As a rule, lower pH does imply greater injection pain; however, low pH is probably not the main explanation for the pain in this case because VIAject has the same ph as Lantus. High injection volume and perhaps the long needle are the more likely culprits.

[DewDiligence]

The idea of BIOD's formulation is to facilitate absorption of the insulin and make a super-rapid insulin. Due to the rapid absorption, the compositions can shut off the conversion of glycogen to glucose in the liver, thereby preventing hyperglycemia. Insulin is most stable in its hexameric form (six insulin monomers assembled around zinc ions)and the hexamers are big slowly absorbed molecules. Adding a chelator (EDTA), in the presence of citric acid (btw, that could be the cause for the injection site pain), which solubilizes the insulin, pulls the zinc away from the insulin, thereby favoring the monomeric form of the insulin over the hexameric form. The monomeric form has a molecular weight that is less than one-sixth the molecular weight of the hexameric form, thereby markedly increasing both the speed and quantity of insulin absorption.

That’s all well and good, but there is nothing unique to BIOD about this concept. All fast-acting insulins work by impeding the formation of hexamers in one way or another.