Insu Therapeutics

What Insu Therapeutics does

Insu Therapeutics Inc. is a Vancouver-based, privately held biopharmaceutical company and University of British Columbia research spinoff developing a proprietary, patent-pending buccal (inner-cheek) transmucosal drug-delivery platform positioned at Technology Readiness Level 5. The platform enables oral, needle-free administration of peptide therapeutics and is currently anchored by two lead programs: a Buccal Insulin Tablet (with completed preclinical animal studies in diabetic Wistar rat models demonstrating sustained glycemic control beyond the two-hour window typical of rapid-acting injectable insulin) and a Buccal Semaglutide Program (Phase I preclinical completed, Phase II studies approved by the UBC Research Ethics Board). The technology employs targeted hepatic delivery via portal circulation to mimic physiological insulin distribution while avoiding gastrointestinal degradation, and the shelf-stable, room-temperature formulation eliminates cold-chain requirements. The company is a portfolio company within Victory Square Technologies Inc.'s venture-builder ecosystem, with scientific leadership including CEO Ammad Shorbaji (25+ years at Sanofi), CMO Dr. Tom Elliott (endocrinologist, founder of BC Diabetes), CTO Dr. Yigong Guo (transmucosal drug delivery), and Board Chair Dr. Anubhav Pratap-Singh (inventor of the platform, 7+ patents, 100+ publications).

The business model is pre-revenue and contingent on out-licensing and commercialization partnerships. Insu has no commercial pricing, no approved products, and no direct sales force; the intended go-to-market is partner-led, exemplified by a $300,000 strategic investment from Hydreight Technologies in March 2026 in which Hydreight signaled intent to pursue preferred U.S. commercialization rights via its 50-state pharmacy network and VSDHOne licensee ecosystem. Future revenue streams are expected to derive from licensing/royalty arrangements, the planned construction of what would be the first insulin manufacturing facility in Canada, and direct commercialization of needle-free peptide therapies, with Phase I and II clinical trials slated for 2027 and 2028 and an FDA clinical submission targeted for early 2027. The pipeline extends beyond insulin and semaglutide to buccal GLP-1 agonists, testosterone, and growth hormones, leveraging shared formulation technology to create a multi-asset peptide platform rather than a single-product company.

Name

Insu Therapeutics

Legal name

Insu Therapeutics Inc.

Website

https://insutherapeutics.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Insu Therapeutics is a Vancouver-based preclinical biotech developing a proprietary buccal drug-delivery platform for needle-free oral administration of peptide therapeutics, anchored by lead programs in buccal insulin and buccal semaglutide for diabetes and obesity patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Buccal Drug Delivery

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Therapeutic Peptides & Protein/Peptide Biologics (HLAAAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB), Regulatory Strategy & IND/NDA/BLA Submissions Support (HLAIALAH)

Keywords

• Buccal drug delivery
• Peptide therapeutics
• Insulin formulation
• Transmucosal delivery
• GLP-1 receptor agonists

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pre-revenue / Future Commercialization Licensing: Products remain in preclinical / Phase I/II development and have not been approved by regulatory authorities for commercial use. The company is pre-revenue and plans to monetize via licensing and commercialization partnerships (e.g., Hydreight intends to pursue preferred U.S. commercialization rights). Long-term monetization is expected through licensing/royalty arrangements, manufacturing (planned first insulin manufacturing facility in Canada), and direct commercialization of needle-free peptide therapies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Core offering

Insu Therapeutics is a Canadian biopharmaceutical company developing a proprietary, patent-pending buccal (inner-cheek) drug-delivery platform that enables needle-free, oral transmucosal administration of peptide therapeutics. The company's lead programs apply this platform to insulin and semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist), with preclinical studies demonstrating systemic absorption and sustained glycemic control comparable to subcutaneous administration, while additional pipeline assets target testosterone, growth hormones, and other high-value peptides.

Product overview

Insu Therapeutics operates as a single-product platform company with a multi-asset pipeline architecture. Its core offering is a proprietary, patent-pending buccal drug-delivery platform (TRL 5) that enables oral, needle-free administration of peptide therapeutics. The platform is currently anchored by the Buccal Insulin Tablet (its lead asset, with completed preclinical/animal studies and an FDA clinical submission targeted for early 2027) and the Buccal Semaglutide Program (which has completed Phase I preclinical studies and received approval to initiate Phase II studies). Beyond these lead programs, Insu Therapeutics is leveraging the same core buccal platform technology across a Multi-Asset Peptide Delivery Pipeline targeting additional indications such as testosterone, growth hormones, and other GLP-1 agonists, providing shared formulation technology, lifecycle management, and accelerated development pathways. The company is a University of British Columbia research spinoff based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Proprietary Buccal Drug-Delivery Platform A proprietary, patent-pending buccal (inner-cheek) transmucosal drug-delivery platform at TRL 5 that enables oral, needle-free administration of peptide therapeutics, with a targeted hepatic delivery pathway via portal circulation to mimic physiological insulin distribution. Intended for licensing partners and pharmaceutical collaborators.
• Buccal Insulin Tablet Shelf-stable, room-temperature buccal insulin tablet applying the proprietary platform to insulin, showing in preclinical studies a pharmacodynamic onset profile comparable to subcutaneous insulin and sustained glycemic control beyond two hours, eliminating cold-chain requirements.
• Buccal Semaglutide Program Application of the buccal delivery platform to semaglutide (GLP-1 receptor agonist), having completed Phase I preclinical studies approved by UBC's Research Ethics Board and received approval to initiate Phase II studies, targeting diabetes/obesity indications.
• Multi-Asset Peptide Delivery Pipeline Broader application of the buccal platform to additional high-value peptide drugs including buccal GLP-1 agonists, testosterone, and growth hormones, leveraging shared formulation technology for accelerated development and lifecycle management.

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Biocon: India-based biosimilar insulin manufacturer with growing oral peptide ambitions; comparable multi-asset peptide pipeline play with global emerging-market distribution strengths.
• Aquestive Therapeutics: Specialty pharma with proprietary oral film and transmucosal delivery platforms (PharmFilm) that compete in the same needle-free, non-injectable drug delivery category as Insu's buccal tablets.
• Lexicon Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage company developing oral drug candidates for diabetes and metabolic disease, with pipeline overlap in oral peptide/GLP-1-adjacent indications.

Broad incumbents

• Sanofi: Major insulin and diabetes franchise (Lantus, Toujeo, Soliqua) and Insu CEO Ammad Shorbaji's former employer. A natural strategic partner or acquirer for buccal insulin assets.
• Eli Lilly: Major incumbent in diabetes (Humalog, Trulicity) and the leading GLP-1 player (Mounjaro, Zepbound). A likely strategic acquirer or competitor for any oral peptide delivery breakthrough.
• Novo Nordisk: Global leader in insulin and GLP-1 receptor agonists (Ozempic, Rybelsus) and manufacturer of the semaglutide API Insu's buccal program is built on. Direct incumbent for oral peptide delivery space.

Direct peers

• Rani Therapeutics: Developer of the RaniPill capsule, an oral (swallowed) delivery system for biologics and peptides including octreotide and insulin. Direct competitor in oral/needle-free peptide delivery.
• Emisphere Technologies: Pioneer in oral peptide delivery using the Eligen carrier (salcaprozate sodium), the same technology behind approved oral semaglutide. Direct comparable for oral peptide bioavailability platforms.
• Oramed Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage company developing an oral insulin capsule (ORMD-0801) and oral GLP-1 programs. Closest direct competitor to Insu's buccal peptide delivery approach for diabetes.
• Diasome Pharmaceuticals: Focused on liver-targeted insulin delivery (Hepatic Directed Vesicle technology), closely aligned with Insu's targeted hepatic delivery mechanism via the portal route.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=fj2sKQNa2sM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/insutherapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Insu Therapeutics