Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based 3D Printed Tablets: Novel Insight into the Influence of Polymer Particle Size on Filament Preparation and Drug Release Performance

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) by fused deposition modeling (FDM) has gained momentum as a promising pharmaceutical manufacturing method due to encouraging forward-looking perspectives in personalized medicine preparation. The current challenges the technology has for applicability in the fabrication of solid dosage forms include the limited range of suitable pharmaceutical grade thermoplastic materials. Hence, it is important to investigate the implications of variable properties of the polymeric carrier on the preparation steps and the final output, as versatile products could be obtained by using the same material. In this study, we highlighted the influence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particle size on the residence time of the mixtures in the extruder during the drug-loaded filament preparation step and the consequent impact on drug release from the 3D printed dosage form. We enhanced filament printability by exploiting the plasticizing potential of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and we explored a channeled tablet model as a design strategy for dissolution facilitating purposes. Our findings disclosed a new perspective regarding material considerations for the preparation of PVA-based solid dosage forms by coupling hot melt extrusion (HME) and FDM-3DP.

Development of 3D-Printed Bicompartmental Devices by Dual-Nozzle Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) for Colon-Specific Drug Delivery

“…The XRPD pattern of the PVA polymer (Figure 5b), with a broad diffraction peak at 19.3° (2θ), confirms its semi-crystalline nature [34,36,37]. The sorbitol showed multiple The XRPD pattern of the PVA polymer (Figure 5b), with a broad diffraction peak at 19.3 • (2θ), confirms its semi-crystalline nature [34,36,37]. The sorbitol showed multiple sharp diffraction peaks, the most intense of which were at 11.6 • , 18.6 • , and 25.4 • (2θ), representative of its crystalline structure [36,52].…”

“…However, the XRPD pattern of the filament was attenuated, confirming the complete amorphization of the HPMCAS-HG and magnesium stearate during extrusion. The XRPD pattern of the PVA polymer (Figure 5b), with a broad diffraction peak at 19.3° (2θ), confirms its semi-crystalline nature [34,36,37]. The sorbitol showed multiple The XRPD pattern of the PVA polymer (Figure 5b), with a broad diffraction peak at 19.3 • (2θ), confirms its semi-crystalline nature [34,36,37].…”

3D Printing of Temporary Prostheses for Controlled-Release of Drugs: Design, Physical Characterization and Preliminary Studies

“…Goyanes et al studied the release of fluorescein in tablets with different infills and found that the lower the filling of the tablet, the higher the percentage of fluorescein released [37]. Other studies also support these results [26,38]. As can be seen in Figure 5, none of the infills below 10% allowed maximal strength.…”

Controlled Release of Felodipine from 3D-Printed Tablets with Constant Surface Area: Influence of Surface Geometry

“…In the physical mixture case, the melting point was similar to that of FDP. Nevertheless, the thermogram of the FDP-loaded PVA filament did not present the FDP melting peak, indicating the complete FDP incorporation into the PVA matrix [ 14 ].…”