Medicated Chewing Gum: A Boon to Oral Dosage forms

Medicated chewing gum (MCG) is a drug delivery system that consists of an active ingredient incorporated into a chewing gum and released by the mechanical action of chewing. The first Medicated chewing gum product.‘ Aspergum’, which contained acetyl salicylic acid for headaches, was launched in 1928. Medicated chewing gum is a good vehicle for administering active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. It offers a highly convenient, patient-compliant way of dosing medications, particularly for people with swallowing difficulties such as children and the elderly. It is also an ideal dosage form for drugs that help cure or relieve oral diseases, including toothache, periodontal disease, bacterial and fungal infections, and aphthous and dental stomatitis. Medicated chewing gum containing chlorhexidine is used to treat inflammatory conditions such as gingivitis. Using the medicated chewing gum formulation, the revitalization of old products and the reformulation of new patented products will differentiate them from upcoming generics competition. Thus, the potential of Medicated chewing gum for direct systemic delivery with higher patient compliance, its fast onset of action and the opportunity for product-line extension make it a likely drug delivery system. Keywords- Medicated chewing gum (MCG), periodontal disease, gingivitis, patient compliance