LEWISTON, N.Y. (WIVB) — Every day millions of people across the country have to inject themselves with insulin to manage their blood sugar levels. Niagara University researchers have developed a new way to get the medicine orally so people with diabetes don’t have to get insulin through a shot.

A new technology called cholestosome was developed at Niagara University by faculty members and undergraduates. It’s a lipid based particle that could transfer insulin into the blood stream.

So far it’s been tested in rodents and it’s been successful in delivering insulin throughout the body. The biggest obstacle in getting insulin through the body orally is getting it through the stomach without it degrading. Niagara University researchers say the new technology can successfully transfer insulin through the body,

“What we’ve done is we’ve made this really safe, comfortable little cocoon made out of lipids that we can put things inside of and when you put them inside of this really nice little cocoon the things that are inside of them stay in tact they survive PH they survive the acid of the stomach they survive all kinds of things. And then what happens is they’re then able to get into the body into the bloodstream,” said Mary Mccourt, Niagara University Chemistry Professor.

Researchers say the formulation is made of safe materials that shouldn’t be harmful to anyone. The next steps involving developing a formulation that researchers can test in larger animals. Researchers hope to get cholestosome to phase 1 trials within the next year.