Newly Developed Medicine Capsule Maintain Efficacy of Medicine Longer Than Week

A new `super medicine capsaul` that maintains the efficacy of the medicine longer than a week in human body has been developed.

A research team in Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) led by Dr. Son Yeon-Su and Dr. Song Su-Chang announced yesterday that they have developed a new high molecular substance. The substance stays as a liquid form in a normal temperature but is transferred to a solid material upon entering to a human body. And they have produced a medicine transmitting capsule based on the new material.

The research team said that if one melt the new substance with insulin or an anti-cancer medicine and inject the mixed substance into a human body, the mixed substance is transformed into a form of jelly. Since the jelly type material discharges the medicinal substances very slowly, the efficacy of the medicine can last longer than one week. They also said that according to an experimental result for which mice were used, the new substance did not create any inflammation or side-effects in the body and it was automatically decomposed after certain time.

Thus far, diabetics had to inject the insulin every day. But when the new substance is marketed, they may be injected once a week.

The KIST has applied for the patent in 10 different countries including the U.S., and has contracted with a domestic venture company, Pike Co., to put the product to the world market.

Dr. Son said, ``we plan to begin a test for toxic reaction and a clinical study, and the marketing of the product will be available in 2003.``

dream@donga.com