Perrigo gets FDA approval to market coated fruit nicotine gum

May 30 (Reuters) - Generic drugmaker Perrigo Co. (PRGO.O) said it received approval from U.S. regulators to market over-the-counter coated fruit nicotine gum as an aid to quit smoking.

The first shipments of the product, coated nicotine polacrilex gum, is expected within the first quarter of fiscal 2008, the company said in a statement.

Perrigo said the product will be marketed under store brand labels and is comparable to GlaxoSmithKline's Nicorette Fruit Chill coated gum. (Reporting by Manish Gupta in Bangalore)