Revolution of 3d printing in pharmaceuticals: innovations, applications, and future perspectives

Sanket J Soni

doi:10.46795/ijhcbs.v5i4.633

Sanket J Soni Associate Director, Department of Project and Portfolio Management, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, New Jersey, USA

DOI https://doi.org/10.46795/ijhcbs.v5i4.633

Abstract

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is transforming the pharmaceutical industry by enabling the precise fabrication of complex drug formulations, personalized dosages, and advanced drug delivery systems. Initially utilized in aerospace and automotive industries, 3D printing has rapidly been adopted in pharmaceuticals, offering new opportunities for customized medicine, rapid prototyping, and on-demand drug manufacturing. This review explores the current advancements in 3D printing technologies, such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Inkjet Printing, and Extrusion-Based Printing. These technologies have shown significant potential in creating personalized medication, developing complex drug delivery systems, and addressing pediatric and geriatric populations' unique needs. Despite these advancements, challenges still need to be addressed, including regulatory hurdles, technical limitations, scalability issues, and intellectual property concerns. Future directions include integrating 3D printing with digital health technologies for real-time patient monitoring and personalized treatment, developing advanced materials and printing technologies, and evolving regulatory frameworks to accommodate the growing use of 3D printing in pharmaceuticals. Collaborative research and development are crucial to overcoming these challenges and realizing the full potential of 3D printing in revolutionizing drug manufacturing and delivery, particularly in improving global accessibility to essential medicines.

Keywords: 3D Printing, Pharmaceuticals, Personalized Medicine, Drug Delivery, Additive Manufacturing

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Norman J, Madurawe RD, Moore CM, Khan MA, Khairuzzaman A. A new chapter in pharmaceutical manufacturing: 3D-printed drug products. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2017;108:39-50.
2. Wang J, Goyanes A, Gaisford S, Basit AW. Stereolithographic (SLA) 3D printing of oral modified-release dosage forms. Int J Pharm. 2016;503(1-2):207-212.
3. Goyanes A, Buanz AB, Basit AW, Gaisford S. Fused-filament 3D printing (3DP) for fabrication of tablets. Int J Pharm. 2014;476(1-2):88-92.
4. Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company. Spritam® (levetiracetam) tablets. [Internet]. Available from: https://www.aprecia.com
5. Chai X, Chai H, Wang X, Yang J, Li J, Zhao Y, et al. Design of a 3D-printed gastric floating sustained-release delivery system for oral administration of rabeprazole sodium. Int J Pharm. 2017;552(1-2):281-290.
6. Awad A, Fina F, Trenfield SJ, et al. 3D printed pellets (miniprintlets) for oral delivery of low-dose drugs. Int J Pharm. 2019;569:118581.
7. Jamróz W, Szafraniec J, Kurek M, Jachowicz R. 3D printing in pharmaceutical and medical applications – recent achievements and challenges. Pharm Res. 2018;35(9):176.
8. Khaled SA, Burley JC, Alexander MR, Yang J, Roberts CJ. 3D printing of five-in-one dose combination polypill with defined immediate and sustained release profiles. J Control Release. 2015;217:308-314.
9. Yu DG, Shen X, Branford-White C, White K, Zhu LM, Bligh SW. Oral fast-dissolving drug delivery membranes prepared from electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone ultrafine fibers. Nanotechnology. 2009;20(5):055104.
10. Scoutaris N, Ross SA, Douroumis D. Current trends on the role of 3D printing in drug delivery. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2018;15(5):433-450.
11. Melocchi A, Parietti F, Loreti G, et al. 3D printing by fused deposition modeling (FDM) of a swellable/erodible capsular device for oral pulsatile release of drugs. J Drug DelivSci Technol. 2015;30:360-367.
12. Prasad LK, Smyth H. 3D Printing technologies for drug delivery: a review. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2016;42(7):1019-1031.
13. Sun Y, Soh S. Printing Tablets with Fully Customizable Release Profiles for Personalized Medicine. Adv Mater. 2015;27(47):7847-7853.
14. Mathew E, Domínguez-Robles J, Larrañeta E, Lamprou DA. Fused deposition modeling as a potential tool for anti-infective dialysis catheter fabrication. Macromol Biosci. 2019;19(2):1800421.
15. Manda, P., Popescu, C., Juluri, A. et al. Micronized Zaleplon Delivery via Orodispersible Film and Orodispersible Tablets. AAPS PharmSciTech 19, 1358–1366 (2018).
16. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, K., Praneeth Rao, K. Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating LC Method for Determination of Bexarotene in Softgel Dosage Formulation. Chromatographia 80, 1211–1224 (2017).
17. Chowdary KP, Chandra DU, Mahesh N, Reddy TM, Gopaiah KV. Enhancement of dissolution rate and formulation development of pioglitazone-a BCS class II drug. J. Pharm. Res. 2011 Nov;4:3862-3.
18. Chia HN, Wu BM. Recent advances in 3D printing of biomaterials. J Biol Eng. 2015;9(1):1-14.
19. Dodziuk H. Applications of 3D printing in healthcare. KardiochirTorakochirurgia Pol. 2016;13(3):283-293.
20. Ventola CL. Medical applications for 3D printing: current and projected uses. P T. 2014;39(10):704-711.
21. Trenfield SJ, Awad A, Madla CM, et al. Shaping the future: recent advances of 3D printing in drug delivery and healthcare. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2019;16(10):1081-1094.
22. Klein GT, Lu Y, Wang MY. 3D printing and neurosurgery—ready for prime time? World Neurosurg. 2013;80(3-4):233-235.
23. Walker S, Bøtker JP, Bokser AD, et al. Pharma 4.0: an augmented reality solution for next-generation pharmaceutical manufacturing. Int J Pharm. 2019;566:646-656.
24. Sadia M, Sośnicka A, Arafat B, et al. Adaptation of pharmaceutical excipients to FDM 3D printing for the fabrication of patient-tailored immediate release tablets. Int J Pharm. 2016;513(1-2):659-668.
25. Kakulamarri PR, Alikatte KL, Mateti UV (2016) Transdermal Iontophoresis of Non-Polar Drugs: A Mini Review. J Pharm Drug Deliv Res 5:3
26. Ravella S, Angel M, Subramanian H, Thangavel N, Namballa M, Lokesh D, Mishra AK, Nagaraju GV. Navigating the Future of Cancer Diagnosis: A Comprehensive Review of Novel Approaches for Community-Based Treatment. future.;1:6.
27. Zhang J, Vo AQ, Feng X, Bandari S, Repka MA. Pharmaceutical Additive Manufacturing: A Novel Tool for Complex and Personalized Drug Delivery Systems. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2018;19(8):3388-3402.
28. Norman J, Madurawe RD, Moore CM, Khan MA, Khairuzzaman A. A new chapter in pharmaceutical manufacturing: 3D-printed drug products. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2017;108:39-50.
29. Lim SH, Kathuria H, Tan JY, Kang L. 3D printed drug delivery and testing systems—a passing fad or the future? Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2018;132:139-168.
30. Sun Y, Soh S. Printing Tablets with Fully Customizable Release Profiles for Personalized Medicine. Adv Mater. 2015;27(47):7847-7853.
31. Caplin NJ, Colombo P, Sonvico F. 3D printing of inhalable dry powder medicines: A regulatory perspective. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv. 2018;31(1):55-69.
32. Liang K, Carmone S, Brambilla D, Leroux JC. 3D printing of a wearable personalized oral delivery device: A first-in-human study. Sci Adv. 2018;4(5)
33. Daly R, Harrington TS, Martin GD, Hutchings IM. Inkjet printing for pharmaceutics—A review of research and manufacturing. Int J Pharm. 2015;494(2):554-567.
34. Katstra WE, Palazzolo RD, Rowe CW, et al. Oral dosage forms fabricated by three dimensional printing™. J Control Release. 2000;66(1):1-9.