Indian researchers found an effective insulin pill that could replace needle injections, Newsmax Health reports.

In new research published in the journal Biomacromolecules and reported by Medical News Today, a team of scientists from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in India said they have developed an insulin pill that can be absorbed by the gut.

Studies of rats demonstrated the new technique allows the insulin pills to reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic rats almost as well as insulin injections, offering hope that millions of diabetics will one day be able to take a pill rather than inject insulin.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about 26 million Americans have diabetes. Many require daily insulin shots to regulate their levels of the hormone.