by the use in the composition of agents delaying absorption for example aluminium monostearate and gelatin in the case of sterile powders for the preparation of sterile injectable solutions the preferred methods of preparation are vacuum drying and the freeze drying technique which yield a powder of the active ingredient plus any additional desired ingredient from a previously sterile filtered solution thereof when the peptides are suitably protected as described above the active compound may be orally administered for example with an inert diluent or with an assimilable edible carrier or it may be enclosed in hard or soft shell gelatin capsule or it may be compressed into tablets or it may be incorporated directly with the food of the diet for oral therapeutic administration the active compound may be incorporated with excipients and used in the form of ingestible tablets buccal tablets troches capsules elixirs suspensions syrups wafers and the like the tablets pills capsules and the like may also contain the following a binder such as gum tragacanth acacia corn starch or gelatin excipients such as dicalcium phosphate a disintegrating agent such as corn starch potato starch alginic acid and the like a lubricant such as magnesium stearate and a sweetening agent such as sucrose lactose or saccharin may be added or a flavoring agent such as peppermint oil of wintergreen or cherry flavoring when the dosage unit form is a capsule it may contain in addition to materials of the above type a liquid carrier various other materials.