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&NA; Development of self‐nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) of polypeptide‐k (PPK) is reported with the aim to achieve its oral delivery. Box‐Behnken design (BBD) was adopted to develop and optimize the composition of SNEDDS. Oleoyl polyoxyl‐6 glycerides (A), Tween 80 (B), and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (C) were used as oil, surfactant and co‐surfactant, respectively as independent variables. The effect of variation in their composition was observed on the mean droplet size (y1), polydispersity index (PDI) (y2), % drug loading (y3) and zeta potential (y4). As per the optimal design, seventeen SNEDDS prototypes were prepared. The optimized composition of SNEDDS formulation was 25% v/v Oleoyl polyoxyl‐6 glycerides, 37% v/v Tween 80, 38% v/v diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, and 3% w/v PPK. The optimized formulation revealed values of y1, y2, y3, and y4 as 31.89 nm, 0.16, 73.15%, and −15.65 mV, respectively. Further the optimized liquid SNEDDS were solidified through spray drying using various hydrophilic and hydrophobic carriers. Among the various carriers, Aerosil 200 was found to provide desirable flow, compression, disintegration and dissolution properties. Both, liquid and solid‐SNEDDS have shown release of >90% within 10 min. The formulation was found stable with change in pH, dilution, temperature variation and freeze thaw cycles in terms of droplet size, zeta potential, drug precipitation and phase separation. Crystalline PPK was observed in amorphous state in solid SNEDDS when characterized through DSC and PXRD studies. The biochemical, hematological and histopathological results of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats shown promising antidiabetic potential of PPK loaded in SNEDDS at its both the doses (i.e. 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg) as compared to its naïve form at both the doses. The study revealed successful formulation of SNEDDS for oral delivery of PPK. Graphical abstract Figure. No caption available.