A U.S. company has announced that a new oral medication may shortly replace intramuscular injections for people with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Presently, doctors depend upon on shots for patients with a severe vitamin B12 deficiency due to the unfavorable result of oral formulations.

The injections are recommended because capsules are difficult to break down in the digestive tract, and only small amount of the nutrient get absorbed into the blood stream.

The U.S. biopharmaceutical company, which is involved in developing an alternative treatment, said that only about 1 percent of a vitamin B12 pill get absorbed after travelling through the gastrointestinal tract.

In a statement, Cristina Castelli, lead researcher at Emisphere Technologies Inc. of New York said that its new oral formulation has an absorption rate of between 7% and 30%.
 
“Our current studies have shown our oral solid formulation brings vitamin B12 absorption to a range of 7 percent to 30 percent without the discomfort of an invasive route of administration,” Castellia added.

Animal testing of the new treatment delivery system has been finished and scientists are now carrying out human studies.

The findings of the study are being presented at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists' National Biotechnology Conference in Toronto.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to a wide spectrum of conditions including such as anemia, dementia and reduced cognitive functioning that troubles millions of people through out the world.