According to the American Diabetes Association, there are around 25.8 million adults and children in the US with diabetes. Many of these individuals endure daily insulin shots in order to regulate their levels of the hormone. But researchers say they may have found a way to create a long-sought after insulin pill.

This is according to a study published in the journal Biomacromolecules.

The team of study researchers, led by Sanyog Jain of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in India, say the insulin pill could erase the “ouch” factor that patients experience from daily insulin shots, and also ensure that patients who are afraid of needles take their medication when required.

The investigators say that around 25% of diabetics in the US need some form of insulin therapy to manage their condition.

Researchers have been working toward developing an insulin pill for many years, but the investigators say this work is challenging.

They explain that with an insulin pill, the digestive enzymes in the body that break down food also break down insulin before it has the chance to work. Additionally, they note that the gut finds it hard to absorb the insulin, meaning the insulin does not easily reach the bloodstream.

But the researchers conducted a rat study in an attempt to resolve these issues.