The fight against diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases is intensifying, with demand for effective treatments surging worldwide. Poolbeg Pharma is at the forefront of this revolution, leveraging a proven encapsulation technology to transform the way glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1R) are delivered. This cutting-edge approach enhances drug bioavailability, increases patient compliance, and could alleviate global supply constraints.
The World Health Organisation has classified obesity as a critical global health crisis, with the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that approximately 42% of the US population is affected. The economic impact is staggering, with obesity-related costs exceeding $347.5 billion in 2023 alone. Obesity’s role in driving chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers, has propelled demand for GLP-1R agonists—an increasingly essential class of prescription weight-loss drugs.
Poolbeg Pharma’s solution centres on a proprietary oral encapsulation technology designed to optimise the delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to targeted areas of the gut. This pH-sensitive mechanism enables controlled release, maximising bioavailability and absorption while ensuring patient convenience. The company’s expertise is bolstered by AnaBio Technologies, a trusted partner whose encapsulated probiotics and nutraceuticals have already demonstrated commercial success.
With a proof-of-concept trial set to launch in the coming months, Poolbeg Pharma is poised to validate the oral delivery of GLP-1R agonists in humans. Given that the only current oral GLP-1R agonist on the market has a bioavailability of just 1%, this innovation presents a significant opportunity to enhance treatment efficacy and expand patient access. By eliminating the need for injections, Poolbeg’s technology aligns with patient and clinician preferences, making long-term management of chronic conditions far more feasible.
Poolbeg Pharma plc (LON:POLB) is a clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company, with a novel capital light clinical model which enables us to develop multiple products faster and more cost effectively than the traditional biotech model.
