"Tiny Israeli drugmaker Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc on Wednesday said its experimental oral insulin succeeded in significantly reducing nighttime blood glucose in patients with type  diabetes according to initial data from a midstage trial.  Nadav Kidron CEO of Oramed Pharmaceuticals shows an insulin pill as he poses for a photo at the companys offices in Jerusalem September  . REUTERSBaz Ratner The result is likely to surprise many skeptics who did not believe insulin could be delivered orally because they doubted it could survive the onslaught of digestive juices so it could have the intended effect.  Oramed uses a protective coating and a highenough dose of insulin so that most of it can be destroyed and still deliver a clinically beneficial amount of the hormone.  The positive results must be replicated in a larger Phase III trial before the drug known as ORMD can be submitted for approval. But the data from the Phase II patient trial represents a major milestone.   Its been a long trip but its finally at the point that its beyond a doubt the oral insulin works Nadav Kidron chief executive of Jerusalembased Oramed said in a telephone interview.  The day study involved patients whose type  diabetes was not adequately controlled by metformin. They were dosed before bed time and had their overnight glucose levels continuously monitored. Those who received the oral insulin had a mean nighttime glucose reduction of nearly . percent compared with a placebo.  There were no reported serious adverse side effects and no issues with hypoglycemia or dangerously low blood sugar the company said. Oramed said it plans to publish more detailed data from the study once it has had time to analyze the full results.  While insulin is typically associated with type  diabetes many patients with type  eventually see their disease progress to the point where they need insulin. Type  accounts for more than  percent of the nearly  million people with diabetes worldwide.  A safe and effective oral insulin if approved is expected to become a multibilliondollar product.  The main attraction of an insulin pill aside from avoiding injections is that it comes much closer to the path of natural insulin which is produced in the pancreas and goes directly to the liver. ORMD goes from the gut to the liver while injected insulin circulates throughout the body before it gets there.  Some doctors believe high levels of insulin circulating through the rest of the body may increase health risks.  Reporting by Bill Berkrot Editing by Cynthia Osterman Our StandardsThe Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. httpthomsonreuters.comenaboutustrustprinciples.html"