micropatch Research brief →

Is there a microneedle insulin patch yet?

Short answer. We found no approved microneedle patch that delivers insulin. Ordinary skin patches only work for small drugs. A 2000 review argues a molecule must be under about 500 daltons to pass the skin, and insulin is far larger (research #31). So an insulin "patch" needs needles of some kind. Today's insulin patches, such as Omnipod 5 and V-Go, are small pumps that push insulin through a cannula or needle (#7, #10). Patches that release insulin by themselves as glucose rises have worked in mice and minipigs, not people (#39, #40).

Research concept. Not a medical device. Not medical advice. Micropatch is a design study. It is not approved, cleared or available anywhere. Nothing on this page should change how you manage diabetes; talk to your diabetes care team about your treatment.

Why can't insulin go through a normal patch?

The outer layer of skin keeps most molecules out. Bos and Meinardi noted that "all known topical drugs used in transdermal drug-delivery systems are under 500 Dalton" and argued that "larger molecules cannot pass the corneal layer" (#31). Ordinary patches work for small, fat-soluble (lipophilic) drugs (#30). Rivastigmine and rotigotine patches are changed every 24 hours (#8, #9). Insulin is a protein, far above that cut-off.

The four kinds of microneedle

TypeHow it deliversStatus (as cited)The catch for insulin
Hollow A tiny needle injects liquid into the skin Cleared device: NanoPass MicronJet600, three 600 µm needles (#32) Needs a pump or syringe behind it
Coated / dissolving Drug sits on or inside the needle and dissolves in the skin Human trials. A dissolving measles–rubella patch was similar to injection in infants (#33) Coated arrays usually carry under 1 mg (#34). The dose is fixed once applied. FDA did not approve Zosano's coated migraine patch in 2020, citing batch-to-batch exposure (#35)
Hydrogel-forming Needles swell with skin fluid and open a path to a separate reservoir Lab (#36) Not tested as an insulin product
Glucose-responsive Insulin is released as glucose rises, with no electronics Animals only: mice (#39) and minipigs for over 20 hours (#40) Hasn't reached human trials in our sources

Do microneedles hurt less?

In a blinded study of 10 volunteers, single microneedles 480–1,450 µm long scored 5% to 40% of the pain of a standard 26-gauge needle. Length mattered most: a 3-fold increase in length raised pain 7-fold. A 10-fold increase in the number of needles raised it "just over 2-fold" (#43).

What about "smart" insulin instead of a smart patch?

Novo Nordisk's NNC2215 is an insulin built to switch on at high glucose and off at low glucose (#41). A 2026 Novo Nordisk study then found it bound more than 10 times more strongly to a paracetamol metabolite than to glucose. At a clinically relevant concentration it increased NNC2215's insulin-receptor binding in lab tests, and in pigs the metabolite changed its glucose-lowering effect; the authors say this could raise hypoglycaemia risk (#42). Making the molecule respond to glucose turns out to be hard to keep specific.

Where Micropatch fits

The concept on the home page would use a micro-pump feeding hollow microneedles or a short soft cannula. A pump can give any dose at any minute, which a coated or dissolving needle cannot. For the sensing half and the closed loop, see Is there a patch that senses glucose and doses insulin? None of this exists as a product. It is a design direction backed by the sources in the research brief.

FAQ

Can I buy an insulin patch?

Insulin pumps worn as patches exist, such as Omnipod 5 and V-Go (#7, #10). They use a cannula or needle, not microneedles. Ask your care team whether one suits you.

Is a glucose-responsive insulin patch close?

In our sources it has only been shown in animals (#39, #40).

Is Micropatch a product?

No. It is a research concept and not a medical device.

Sources

All numbered sources are in the research brief.

  1. 7Omnipod 5. research brief #7
  2. 8Exelon label. research brief #8
  3. 9Neupro PI. research brief #9
  4. 10V-Go review (PubMed 25904143). research brief #10
  5. 30Prausnitz & Langer 2008. research brief #30
  6. 31Bos & Meinardi 2000 (PubMed 10839713). research brief #31
  7. 32MicronJet600 510(k) K092746 (needle length) and FDA GUDID 17290015928011 (three 600 µm needles). research brief #32
  8. 33Lancet 2024 MR patch (PubMed 38697170). research brief #33
  9. 34Kim, Park & Prausnitz 2012. research brief #34
  10. 35Zosano 8-K Oct 2020. research brief #35
  11. 36Donnelly et al. (PubMed 23606824). research brief #36
  12. 39Yu et al. PNAS 2015 (PubMed 26100900). research brief #39
  13. 40Yu et al. Nat Biomed Eng 2020 (PubMed 32015407). research brief #40
  14. 41Hoeg-Jensen et al. Nature 2024 (PubMed 39415004). research brief #41
  15. 42Sturis et al. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2026 (PubMed 42312167). research brief #42
  16. 43Gill et al. Clin J Pain 2008 (PubMed 18716497). research brief #43