Is medicine delivered via gummies the future?

After the FDA granted the first Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for a gummy medication, will more medicines be delivered via gummies in the future?

Seattle Gummy Company received the IND for its allergy gummy medication, IND 140312. The company’s gummy drug program delivers Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) into a novel gummy matrix, “thus solving drug solubility, stability, and taste issues,” Seattle Gummy Company said in a press release.

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With its initial focus on the most common OTC drugs, the company currently has several gummy drugs under review with the FDA.

Seattle Gummy Company’s gummy medication development program, which began three years ago, was inspired by the popularity of gummy vitamins, which are increasingly taken by both children and adults.

In fact, the global gummy vitamins market is valued at an estimated $5.9 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $10.6 billion by 2025, MarketsandMarkets said in a press release.

“The increasing prevalence of vitamin deficiencies and undernourishment, along with growing demand and awareness for on-the-go supplements, supporting better health among consumers, is driving the majority growth of the global gummy vitamins market,” MarketsandMarkets said. “Apart from that, the hike in need for immunity boosting or supporting products, as a preventive healthcare measure, is further rocketing the growth of the gummy vitamins market.

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"I was so frustrated forcing these yucky and sticky syrup medicines into my son when he was sick. I kept telling myself that there has to be a better way of giving kids medications," said Dr. Connie Wan, founder and CEO of Seattle Gummy Company. “Then, when I saw a bottle of gummy vitamins in Costco, a light bulb went off.”

The manufacturer has a large pipeline of gummy drugs in development, from allergy and pain relief medications to fever reducers and cough suppressants, according to Wan.

“We are focusing on the pediatric and geriatric market. Did you know one-third of the senior population can't swallow tablets, and that medication non-adherence is the biggest problem in medicine? We are here to solve these problems.”

SGC formulates each medication into both regular and sugar-free versions and manufactures several dosage strengths of each medication.

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