A randomized phase III trial for alleviating radiation-induced xerostomia with chewing gum.

Background And Purpose: Xerostomia is frequently reported after radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). The aim of this study was to reduce symptoms of radiation-induced xerostomia in HNC survivors, in which the experimental arm used chewing gum for a month. Primary endpoint was changes in scoring of dry mouth as defined by EORTC QLQ-H&N35 between arms.

Effect of Permeation Enhancers on the Buccal Permeability of Nicotine: Ex vivo Transport Studies Complemented by MALDI MS Imaging.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of several chemical permeation enhancers on the buccal permeability of nicotine and to image the spatial distribution of nicotine in buccal mucosa with and without buccal permeation enhancers.

Methods: The impact of sodium taurodeoxycholate (STDC), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Azone® on the permeability of [H]-nicotine and [C]-mannitol (a paracellular marker) across porcine buccal mucosa was studied ex vivo in modified Ussing chambers. The distribution of nicotine, mannitol and permeation enhancers was imaged using using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI).

Permeability Barriers for Nicotine and Mannitol in Porcine Buccal Mucosa Studied by High-Resolution MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Improved nicotine permeability across buccal mucosa may enable more effective oromucosal nicotine replacement therapy products. It is essential to know the location and composition of the main barrier for drug diffusion to enhance the drug permeability. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) is a rapidly evolving technique that can be used to image the spatial distribution of drugs and drug metabolites in tissue cryo-sections, without prior labeling of the drug.

Ex vivo correlation of the permeability of metoprolol across human and porcine buccal mucosa.

The pH partition theory proposes a correlation between fraction of unionized drug substance and permeability. The aim of this study was to compare the permeability of metoprolol and mannitol in ex vivo human and porcine buccal mucosa models at varying pH to validate whether the porcine permeability model is predictive for human buccal absorption. Human (n = 9-10) and porcine (n = 6-7) buccal mucosa were mounted in a modified Ussing chamber, and the kinetics of metoprolol and mannitol transport was assessed for a period of 5.

Characterization of spray dried bioadhesive metformin microparticles for oromucosal administration.

Delivery of drugs into or via the oral cavity offers some distinct advantages due to the easy access to the oral mucosa, fast onset of action, and avoidance of hepatic and intestinal degradation mechanisms. To overcome the effective removal mechanisms existing in this area, bioadhesive drug delivery systems are considered a promising approach as they facilitate a close contact between the drug and the oral mucosa. In this study, bioadhesive chitosan-based microparticles of metformin hydrochloride were prepared by spray drying aqueous dispersions with different chitosan:metformin ratios and chitosan grades with increasing molecular weights.

The MediChew technology platform.

A few decades ago, chewing gum was rarely considered when industry searched for an applicable delivery vehicle for an active pharmaceutical substance. Yet, the 1980s and 1990s saw gum become the most successful nicotine delivery form; unawareness changed to cautious scepticism, and today the merits of chewing gum drug delivery technologies are generally appreciated. MediChew is the registered trademark of Fertin Pharma's medical chewing gum technology platform.