Semi-solid extrusion 3D printing of starch-based soft dosage forms for the treatment of paediatric latent tuberculosis infection

Abstract

Objectives The development of age-appropriate dosage forms is essential for effective pharmacotherapy, especially when long-term drug treatment is required, as in the case of latent tuberculosis infection treatment with up to 9 months of daily isoniazid (ISO). Herein, we describe the fabrication of starch-based soft dosage forms of ISO using semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing. Methods Corn starch was used for ink preparation using ISO as model drug. The inks were characterized physicochemically and their viscoelastic properties were assessed with rheological analysis. The morphology of the printed dosage forms was visualized with scanning electron microscopy and their textural properties were evaluated using texture analysis. Dose accuracy was verified before in-vitro swelling and dissolution studies in simulated gastric fluid (SGF). Key findings Starch inks were printed with good resolution and high drug dose accuracy. The printed dosage forms had a soft texture to ease administration in paediatric patients and a highly porous microstructure facilitating water penetration and ISO diffusion in SGF, resulting in almost total drug release within 45 min. Conclusions The ease of preparation and fabrication combined with the cost-effectiveness of the starting materials constitutes SSE 3D printing of starch-based soft dosage forms a viable approach for paediatric-friendly formulations in low-resource settings.

Production of Bi-Compartmental Tablets by FDM 3D Printing for the Withdrawal of Diazepam

“…For effective pharmacotherapy, clinical safety and medication adherence are of utmost importance to achieve the desired treatment. In this case, 3D printing extrusion-based technologies, namely FDM [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], semi-solid extrusion [ 21 ] and direct powder extrusion [ 18 , 22 ], have been shown to play an important role in the production of personalized medicines for this group of patients.…”

Pediatric Formulations Developed by Extrusion-Based 3D Printing: From Past Discoveries to Future Prospects

“…On the other hand, it was demonstrated how starch-based soft formulations for the treatment of pediatric tuberculosis with isoniazid can be economically printed using SSE 3D printing in different shapes (blue cube, heart, moon and dog) [ 50 ].…”

3D Printing of Dietary Products for the Management of Inborn Errors of Intermediary Metabolism in Pediatric Populations

“…Utilizing pharmaceutical excipients, these formulations address sensory characteristics with coloring agents, sweeteners, flavors, and design aesthetics, creating shapes that are appealing to children [ 118 ]. The SSE technology has successfully developed various chewable formulations with different shapes, colors, flavors, and textures, showing high acceptability among pediatric patients [ 120 , 121 , 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 ]. Moreover, formulations containing multi-drugs or supplements (termed polypills) could be successfully prepared in a simple and easy manner using SSE, which highlights the versatility of the 3D printing technology [ 123 ].…”