Table 3

PK parameters of nicotine in plasma at steady state after 12 hourly dosesof 1 mg lozenge or 2 mg gum (mean ± SD; n = 24)

Formulation\PK parameter
Nicotinell® lozenge
Nicorette® gum
90% CI (lozenge/gum)#




1 mg
2 mg


Cmax (ng/ml)
10.6 ± 2.9
11.4 ± 3.8
0.86–1.04
Cmin (ng/ml)
8.1 ± 2.4
9.3 ± 3.4
ND
tmax (h) [range]
0.54 ± 0.21 [0.00–0.77]
0.47 ± 0.19 [0.20–0.95]
ND
t1/2 (h)
3.6 ± 1.2
3.2 ± 0.9
ND
AUC11–12 (h·ng/ml)
9.2 ± 2.6
10.2 ± 3.4
0.84–1.01

Initial nicotine concentrations in plasma were 1.1 ng/ml (range: 0.0–6.5) with lozenge and 0.9 ng/ml (0.0–5.1) with gum, reflecting volunteers' heavy smoking habits (≥ 20 cigarettes per day). Correction for initial nicotine concentrations did not modify the results and thus was not retained. ND: not determined.

†: PK parameters were determined from blood samples drawn after dose 12 (t = 11 h) until t = 23 h.

‡: a dose adjustment of the raw data was done for a last standard dose of 1 mg nicotine delivery from the gum.

#: Standard 90% CI for the expected mean ratio was derived from ANOVA for continuous parameters and compared to standard BAR [0.80–1.25].

Dautzenberg et al. BMC Clinical Pharmacology 2007 7:11   doi:10.1186/1472-6904-7-11