A study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism reports an exploratory evaluation of InStar Technologies’ electrospun oral thin film for sublingual semaglutide delivery. Scantox contributed to the scientific design, conducted the in vivo Göttingen minipig study in Lund, analyzed biomarker samples in Ejby, and co-authored the publication.
Peptide delivery is challenging because many peptides degrade readily and cross biological membranes poorly. Semaglutide is currently administered either by subcutaneous injection or as an oral product with specific administration and water-intake requirements. A sublingual film offers a different route, but it must first be shown to withstand manufacture, be administered reproducibly, be tolerated locally, and produce a measurable biological response.
A recent publication, “Electrospun Nanofiber Oral Thin Film Platform for Sublingual Peptide Delivery: A Promising Alternative to Conventional Semaglutide Formulations,” describes one such approach. InStar Technologies developed and manufactured InStrip, an electrospun oral thin film for sublingual semaglutide delivery, and funded the research. Scantox supported its progression into an exploratory in vivo study comparing several InStrip formulations with oral and subcutaneous semaglutide.
Building a study around an unfamiliar dosage form
Scantox Sweden conducted the nine-week study at its Lund facility: eight weeks of treatment followed by a one-week follow-up. Forty female, non-diabetic, non-obese Göttingen minipigs aged six to seven months were assigned to seven groups.
Four groups received sublingual InStrip formulations that varied by semaglutide dose and permeation enhancer, either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or salcaprozate sodium (SNAC). Comparator groups received oral Rybelsus®, subcutaneous Ozempic®, or no active treatment. Most treated groups underwent dose escalation after Week 4; one sublingual group maintained a constant 7 mg dose.
InStrip had to be placed accurately beneath the tongue and remain there for the 15 to 20 minutes required for dissolution. The animals were therefore sedated during administration, monitored through dissolution and recovery, and checked for irritation or lesions at the application site.
Because daily sedation was not permitted under Swedish ethical regulations, InStrip was administered three times weekly under sedation. The oral tablet group followed the same dosing frequency to maintain comparable intervals across the non-injected routes but was not sedated because this was necessary for peroral tablet administration. The untreated comparator and subcutaneous groups were sedated to help account for potential effects of sedation on growth and metabolism in comparisons involving the film groups.
“With a novel dosage form, the quality of the study depends on more than selecting the right endpoints. The administration procedure has to be reliable and reproducible, and the protocol has to account for animal welfare and anything that could confound the comparison. Working through those questions was central to this collaboration.”
Rachel Cheong,
Site Manager, Scantox Lund
Formulation analysis, in vivo findings, and limitations
HPLC analysis of the produced 3 mg InStrip formulations found semaglutide content close to the theoretical values for films containing either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or salcaprozate sodium (SNAC). The authors interpreted these results as evidence that semaglutide remained chemically stable throughout the InStrip production process.
The in vivo study assessed body weight gain alongside plasma insulin and C-peptide concentrations. Samples collected during the study were analyzed at Scantox A/S in Ejby, Denmark, using porcine-specific ELISA methods.
No local irritation or mucosal lesions were observed at the application site following film administration. This was an important early local-tolerance finding for an oromucosal delivery platform.
Group 1, which received 7 mg semaglutide with SDS, showed a 24.9% attenuation in body weight gain relative to the untreated comparator. Geometric mean weight gain was 3.09 kg compared with 4.12 kg in the comparator group (p = 0.01). At 24 hours after the final dose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations in Group 1 were also significantly higher than in the untreated comparator, with the estimated treatment ratios and their 95% confidence intervals above 1 (p < 0.01).
These findings need to be interpreted within the study’s exploratory scope. The treatment groups contained six animals each, while the untreated comparator contained four. The animals were non-diabetic and non-obese, and the treatment period was relatively short. The comparator was untreated rather than a sham film group, and the study did not measure systemic semaglutide exposure or establish sublingual bioavailability. Comparisons with the oral tablet also involved differences in sedation status, dosing regimen, route, and formulation.
The findings support further investigation but do not establish comparative bioavailability or equivalence to an established oral or injectable product. The authors identify larger study populations, including obese animals, longer treatment periods, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling as relevant next steps.
Scientific contribution beyond study conduct
Four Scantox scientists co-authored the publication: Renée Daams, Ida Taavoniku, and Rachel Y. Cheong from Scantox Sweden, and Lone Bruhn Madsen from Scantox A/S in Denmark.
Their documented contributions included conceptualization, methodology, investigation, supervision, manuscript preparation, and scientific review and editing. The animal research was conducted under Scantox Sweden’s ethical permit and in accordance with Swedish legislation.
The work combined capabilities at two Scantox sites: Lund, Sweden, conducted the in vivo study, while Ejby, Denmark, performed the insulin and C-peptide analysis.
“For drug delivery innovators, an early in vivo study is not simply a test of whether a formulation produces a biological signal. It should establish which assumptions hold, which questions remain open, and what evidence the next development decision requires. That is where close scientific partnership adds real value.”
Lone Bruhn Madsen,
CSO Discovery, Scantox
Partnering around the scientific question
Novel delivery platforms rarely fit an established study template. Each raises connected questions about administration, dose selection, local tolerance, systemic exposure, and biological response.
This research reflects the role Scantox aims to play for innovators: contributing scientific and practical input, adapting the study to the technology, and generating evidence for the next development decision. It also reflects our appetite for partnerships involving novel formulations, peptide therapeutics, and unconventional delivery approaches where close scientific collaboration can help move an innovation forward.
Source publication: Sagar G, Stránská V, Stránská D, Daams R, Taavoniku I, Cheong RY, Bruhn Madsen L. Electrospun Nanofiber Oral Thin Film Platform for Sublingual Peptide Delivery: A Promising Alternative to Conventional Semaglutide Formulations. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2026;28:8034-8044.
