Exhibit 31.1

                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002


CERTIFICATIONS

I, Robert J. DeLuccia, certify that:

1.     I  have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report  on  Form  10-Q  of  MacroChem
       Corporation;

2.     Based on my knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue statement
       of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
       statements  made,  in  light  of  the  circumstances   under  which  such
       statements  were made, not misleading  with respect to the period covered
       by this report;

3.     Based on my knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and other  financial
       information  included  in this  report,  fairly  present in all  material
       respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
       the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.     The registrant's  other  certifying  officer(s) and I are responsible for
       establishing  and  maintaining  disclosure  controls and  procedures  (as
       defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
       and we have:

a)     Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,   or  caused  such
       disclosure  controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
       to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including
       its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
       entities,  particularly  during the period in which this  report is being
       prepared;

b)     Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls and
       procedures  and  presented  in this  report  our  conclusions  about  the
       effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of
       the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

c)     Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal control
       over  financial  reporting  that occurred  during the  registrant's  most
       recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case
       of an annual  report)  that has  materially  affected,  or is  reasonably
       likely to  materially  affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control over
       financial reporting; and

5.     The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed,  based
       on  our  most  recent  evaluation  of  internal  control  over  financial
       reporting,  to the  registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of the
       registrant's  board of directors (or persons  performing  the  equivalent
       functions):
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a)     All  significant  deficiencies  and material  weaknesses in the design or
       operation  of  internal  control  over  financial   reporting  which  are
       reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record,
       process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)     Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that  involves  management or other
       employees  who  have a  significant  role  in the  registrant's  internal
       control over financial reporting.

Date:    November 14, 2006




                                          /s/ Robert J. DeLuccia
                                          Robert J. DeLuccia
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer


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