Directly compressible medicated chewing gum formulation for quick relief from common cold.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Pharmacokinetics

Background:

• The common cold is a prevalent illness, leading to significant healthcare utilization and productivity loss.
• Medicated chewing gum (MCG) presents a novel, patient-acceptable dosage form for cold symptom relief.
• Cetirizine (CTZ), a highly soluble and permeable antihistamine, is a potential candidate for MCG formulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a medicated chewing gum (MCG) formulation of cetirizine (CTZ) for common cold symptom relief.
• To investigate taste-masking strategies for CTZ using inclusion complexation.
• To assess the influence of formulation and chewing parameters on drug release and absorption.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of CTZ-loaded MCG with focus on taste masking via inclusion complexation.
• Quality and performance evaluation of the MCG formulation.
• Utilized a 3(2) full factorial design to study factors affecting drug release.
• Conducted a
• chew out
• study for in vivo drug release assessment.

Main Results:

• Formulation ingredients like elastomers and sweeteners are crucial for MCG texture and sensory properties.
• Taste masking of CTZ was achieved through inclusion complexation.
• The factorial design identified key factors influencing drug release.

Conclusions:

• Interindividual variations in chewing intensity and frequency significantly affect drug release from MCG.
• Salivary dilution and swallowing influence the absorption site (buccal mucosa vs. gastrointestinal tract).
• MCG offers a promising alternative for rapid and compliant delivery of cold relievers like CTZ.