Danish chewing gum manufacturer Fertin, in partnership with the Canadian biotech company Generex, are preparing to make the first tests of a chewing gum containing a type 2 diabetes medicine

Danish chewing gum manufacturer Fertin, in partnership with the Canadian biotech company Generex, are preparing to make the first tests of a chewing gum containing a type 2 diabetes medicine, reports national daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Fertin already produces nicotine chewing gum for pharmaceutical giants like Novartis (Nicotinell) and GlaxoSmithKline (NiQuitin) - from which it derives the bulk of its revenues - and is hoping to be able to repeat the success in new therapeutic areas.

According to Jyllands-Posten, the active agent proposed for incorporation in the chewing gum is the popular type 2 diabetes medicine metformin. Fertin and Generex plan to take the project through its development phases, but involve a large pharma company to market and sell the product on a broad scale.

And Fertin's creative thoughts around chewing gum as a therapeutic delivery vehicle don't end there. According to the company's development director Niels Korsholm, Fertin is also looking at the possibility of cough & cold medicines, allergy medicines, and a treatment for overweight.