Rani Therapeutics has now raised $142m in total, its latest investors including GV, Ping An Ventures, GeneScience, AstraZeneca, Shire and Novartis.

Rani Therapeutics, a US-based developer of oral treatments for chronic diseases, has received $53m in funding from internet technology group Alphabet, insurance firm Ping An and several pharmaceutical companies.

Pharmaceutical firms GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Shire and Novartis joined Bossa Ventures, Cathay Venture and Virtus Ventures in the round, while Alphabet and Ping An participated through subsidiaries GV and Ping An Ventures respectively.

Rani is developing a pill-based large-molecule drug delivery system called the RaniPill to treat chronic diseases such as…