Bridging the Gap: Investigating the State-of-the-Art Approaches in Oral Biologic Delivery and Their Role in Redefining Therapeutic Possibilities

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Biopharmaceutical medications that originate from biological sources and processes are known as biologics. Biologics are now the most promising medications for oral use in treating a variety of illnesses. These illnesses may involve problems with inflammation and metabolism. It has been established that the most practical way to provide medication is by oral delivery of biologics. Due to the simplicity of taking doses, patients are observed to be directed towards the oral drug, demonstrating its great effectiveness. Even though biologicals are the most promising medicine, oral delivery of these drugs still faces numerous challenges because of a number of extremely strict limitations. The two major obstacles are the sensitivity and the difficulty of delivering the biologics through the gastrointestinal tract. Because oral administration of biologicals has been shown to be crucial for achieving the desired long-term effects from the treatment, it is the most researched topic and continues to attract the attention of several researchers. Since it is more convenient for patients, taking medications orally is preferred; however, biologics cannot currently be administered orally. Multiple barriers are present in the gastrointestinal tract due to its physiological role, which restricts the absorption of complex macromolecules into the body after intake. Because biologics are relatively large molecules, they have very limited permeability across the intestinal mucosa in addition to being exceedingly vulnerable to the harsh environment of the digestive tract. The history of research on oral delivery of biologics is extensive, and the recent surge in biologics has further intensified this body of work. The primary physiological obstacles to oral biologic delivery are outlined in this article along with many research approaches that may be used to facilitate or enhance oral biological delivery. Keywords: Biologics, intestinal mucosa, permeability, oral delivery, gastrointestinal tract, macromolecules