| abstract |
A chewing gum delivery system has nicotine, gum base and a buffer system with an improved release rate for the nicotine. The resulting delivery system advantageously provides a convenient, reliable, practical, and relatively painless system for delivering an active. The delivery system is capable of delivering initial and second doses of a craving reduction active or other actives (e.g., nicotine), the combination of which rapidly reduces cravings, or provides some other pharmacological effect, and provides the pharmacological effect or protection from such cravings over a prolonged period of time beyond the initial dose. Notably, the delivery system is capable of rapidly achieving a pharmacologically effective concentration of the active (e.g., nicotine) in the bloodstream (e.g., within 5 minutes, or more desirably within 3 minutes, or in some cases, within 1-2 minutes), and is also capable of keeping the concentration of the active in the bloodstream at or near the pharmacologically effective concentration for at least 20 minutes after chewing of the delivery system begins, or more desirably about 30 minutes to about 50 minutes after chewing begins. |