The patent includes claims covering semaglutide and several other GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide, dulaglutide, albiglutide, exenatide and lixisenatide.
Patent protection is expected to extend to 2042, with further international applications pending.
The technology, known internally as OralMatrix, uses a dissolvable effervescent tablet designed to create a gastric buffer following administration.
BioLife said this approach is intended to help protect peptide molecules as they pass through the gastrointestinal tract and support their absorption.
Unlike some existing oral peptide delivery approaches, which use specialised coatings or absorption-enhancing excipients, the technology relies on an effervescent formulation to create the protective environment.
Preclinical studies have shown measurable systemic exposure to semaglutide after oral administration, providing in vivo proof of concept for the delivery platform.
However, the technology remains in development and has not been approved for the treatment of any disease.
“GLP-1 medicines have changed how obesity and metabolic disease are treated, but we still need better oral options,” said Dr Farid Bennis, founder of BioLife and inventor of the technology.
This patent represents much more than protection for a formulation. It reflects decades of scientific work focused on addressing on the most important challenges in peptide medicine: helping these molecules pass through the digestive system intact, for today’s therapies and for future generations of peptide therapeutics.
According to BioLife, development of the platform builds on more than 35 years of pharmaceutical effervescence expertise and nearly two decades of research into oral peptide delivery.
The programme has included human clinical studies involving oral insulin formulations and collaborations with Charles River Laboratories, SGS, Eurofins/Amatsi and Cephac.
Growing demand for oral peptide delivery
The patent comes as pharma companies continue to investigate oral alternatives to injectable peptide medicines.
GLP-1 therapies generated approximately $132bn in global sales in 2025, according to market data cited by BioLife, while obesity medicines are estimated to represent a $42bn market.
BioLife said its delivery platform is intended to address broader challenges in oral peptide drug development, potentially extending beyond current GLP-1 medicines to future peptide therapeutics.
