Mandakini Gupta, New Delhi: Those painful jabs of insulin may soon become a thing of the past. Researchers in England have developed an insulin pill that could replace injections for the treatment of diabetes.

Says endocrinologist, Fortis, Anoop Misra, “Previously, the pill would go in the stomach and break down by stomach juices before it was absorbed. This one is coated so it does not break down. It gets absorbed.”

Neeraj Vyas, a diabetic, who takes the insulin shots daily thinks that the pill will be a ‘God sent’ option.

"Pills will be fabulous! They are so much more convenient then injections that can get really painful, “ says Vyas.

So far the study has only been conducted on 16 people so doctors say that it will still take some more time for the pill to be available in the market.

"The study is amazing. It gives a lot of hope to people. But the trials need to be done on more people and across races then only will it be commercially viable,” says Dr Mishra.

But for the 10 million people who feel the prick of a needle thrice a day, the pill is worth the wait.