For patients who have difficulty swallowing pills or in situations where medication needs to take effect quickly (such as nicotine replacement therapy, pain relief), medicinal chewing gum has become a transformative presence. It is convenient, concealed, and can be directly administered through the oral mucosa - it not only improves bioavailability, but also avoids the slow first pass effect of tablet metabolism through the liver. But the key secret is that if there is no suitable gum base, all this will be impossible to talk about.
The gum base of ordinary chewing gum only needs to ensure chewability and flavor retention, while the gum base of medical chewing gum shoulders a more complex mission. It not only serves as a carrier for drugs, but also controls the release rate of drugs - while meeting safety, stability, and even palatability requirements (no one wants to chew bitter and rough medicinal chewing gum). In this paper, the uniqueness, selection criteria and future development trend of pharmaceutical gum base will be disassembled.
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1、 Core differences between medicinal gum base and common gum base
The common gum base takes experience as the core: it is made of synthetic rubber (such as polyisobutylene), resin and wax, with the purpose of allowing chewing gum to chew for hours, and locking the flavor of mint, strawberry, etc. The pharmaceutical gum base needs to meet three key requirements that cannot be achieved by ordinary gum base:
Drug compatibility: Do not react with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). For example, if chewing gum is used to treat gastric acid reflux, its gum base must be resistant to the decomposition of acidic API.
Drug controlled release ability: Some drugs (such as anti anxiety drugs) need to be slowly released within 30 minutes, while others (such as emergency anti allergy drugs) need to take effect within 5 minutes. The texture, porosity and composition (such as hydrophilic polymer) of the gum base directly determine the release rate.
Biocompatibility: Since the gum base needs to contact the oral mucosa for a long time, it must be non irritating and meet the strict pharmaceutical standards (the common gum base may use cheap non pharmaceutical wax, which cannot meet this requirement).
2、 Key criteria for selection of pharmaceutical gum base
If you are developing medicinal chewing gum or purchasing raw materials, do not choose universal gum base. Focus on the following four dimensions:
1. Safety and Compliance
The medicinal gum base must meet the regulatory standards, such as the Drug Master File (DMF) of the US FDA or the European Pharmacopoeia Certificate of Applicability (CEP) of the EU. This ensures that the gum base does not contain harmful pollutants (such as heavy metals) and is produced in a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) workshop. It is necessary to avoid gum base that only meet food grade standards - they have not been tested for safety in long-term oral contact with drugs.
2. Drug release curve
Do you need immediate release (such as rapid pain relief) or sustained release (such as 24-hour smoking cessation) effects?
Quick release requirement: select gum base with pore structure (convenient for rapid dissolution of drugs in saliva).
Slow release demand: gum base containing hydrophobic components (such as specific resin) is preferred, which can delay the dissolution rate of drugs.
3. Compatibility with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)
Be sure to test the interaction between gum base and drug:
Acidic drugs (such as some antibiotics) may decompose the gum base containing calcium carbonate (a common filler for ordinary gum base), so talc based gum base should be used instead.
Oil soluble drugs (such as some vitamins) are easier to mix with gum base containing natural wax (such as beeswax), rather than synthetic wax gum base.
4. Sensory acceptance
The reality is that if chewing gum feels like rubber or leaves a bad aftertaste, patients will not insist on using it. Choose a gum base that balances functionality and taste - for example, add a small amount of glycerin to maintain softness without affecting drug release.
3、 Common challenges and solutions
Even high-quality pharmaceutical gum base will face problems. The following are the solutions to the most common problems:
Problem 1: During storage, some drugs "leak" and will leak out from the gum base over time, leading to reduced efficacy. Solution: Select gum base containing "barrier component" (such as ethyl cellulose) to lock API in the gum base.
Problem 2: The bitter taste of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Many drugs (such as some antidepressants) have a bitter taste, and the gum base itself is difficult to completely cover up. Solution: Use a gum base containing a built-in flavor carrier (such as cyclodextrin) (which can wrap bitter molecules), or use a natural sweetener (such as xylitol) that does not react with drugs.
Problem 3: The slow-release gum base with poor chewing durability will become hard or soft after 10 minutes of chewing. Solution: Test the gum base at the oral temperature (37 ° C/98.6 ° F), adjust the ratio of rubber to wax - increase the wax content to extend the stability.
4、 Future trends of pharmaceutical gum base
The industry is developing rapidly, and two major trends are driving innovation:
The functional gum base based enterprises of targeted therapy are developing "multi-functional" gum base, not just as drug carriers. For example:
Gum base containing pH sensitive polymer: drug is only released in oral acidic environment (applicable to the treatment of periodontal disease).
Gum base containing probiotics: works with API to improve intestinal health (applicable to drugs that affect digestion).
Sustainable and vegetarian friendly gum base consumers and regulators are promoting the use of environmentally friendly ingredients. The brand is replacing synthetic rubber with natural alternatives such as sugar gum or biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid PLA. Vegetarian gum base, which does not contain beeswax or animal resin, is also in sharp demand in the global market.
Conclusion: Don't ignore the importance of gum base
The success or failure of medicinal chewing gum depends on this most inconspicuous ingredient. Improper selection of gum base may destroy a high-quality drug - reduce the efficacy, cause side effects, or make the product unusable. Whether you are a pharmaceutical manufacturer or a researcher, you should invest time in testing gum base and cooperate with gum base suppliers focusing on the pharmaceutical field.
After all, when patients chew medicinal chewing gum, they seek not only to alleviate symptoms - but also to trust that every part of the product (including the hidden gum base) can serve themselves.
Author: Wuxi Gum Base
Publication Date: 10/16/2025
