PHARMACEUTICAL CONTAINING PHYSIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE POLYPEPTIDE

PURPOSE:To obtain a pharmaceutical containing a physiologically active polypeptide for oral administration or administration into the oral cavity by blending a polypeptide with an absorbefacient composed of a combination of an organic acid with a sucrose ester of a fatty acid. CONSTITUTION:A pharmaceutical is obtained by blending a physiologically active polypeptide (e.g. calcitonin) with an organic acid (e.g. malic acid or succinic acid) and a sucrose ester of a fatty acid (e.g. sucrose stearate) in combination as an absorbefacient. In a pharmaceutical for oral administration, 0.1-70wt.% organic acid and 0.1-50wt.% sucrose ester of the fatty acid are blended. In a pharmaceutical for administration into the oral cavity (a sublingual tablet), 0.1-30wt.% organic acid and 0.1-20wt.% sucrose ester of the fatty acid are blended. Since polypeptide hormones undergo hydrolysis by a proteolytic enzyme and not sufficiently absorbed and desired pharmacological action is not exhibited, high absorption of the hardly absorbable polypeptide hormones from intestinal tracts or mucous membranes in the oral cavity is obtained by blending the absorbefacient.