Three-Dimensional (3-D) Printing Technology Exploited for the Fabrication of Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

Background: The conventional dosage forms cannot be administered to all patients because of interindividual variability found among people of different race coupled with different metabolism and cultural necessities. Therefore, to address this global issue there is a growing focus on the fabrication of new drug delivery systems customised to individual needs. Medicinal products printed using 3-D technology are transforming the current medicine business to a plausible alternative of conventional medicines. Methods: The PubMed database and Google scholar were browsed by keywords of 3-D printing, drug delivery, and personalised medicine. The data about techniques employed in the manufacturing of 3-D printed medicines and the application of 3-D printing technology in the fabrication of individualised medicine were collected, analysed and discussed. Results: Numerous techniques can fabricate 3-D printed medicines however, printing-based inkjet, nozzle-based deposition and laser-based writing systems are the most popular 3-D printing methods which have been employed successfully in the development of tablets, polypills, implants, solutions, nanoparticles, targeted and topical dug delivery. In addition, the approval of Spritam® containing levetiracetam by FDA as the primary 3-D printed drug product has boosted its importance. However, some drawbacks such as suitability of manufacturing techniques and the available excipients for 3-D printing need to be addressed to ensure simple, feasible, reliable and reproducible 3-D printed fabrication. Conclusion: 3-D printing is a revolutionary in pharmaceutical technology to cater the present and future needs of individualised medicines. Nonetheless, more investigations are required on its manufacturing aspects in terms cost effectiveness, reproducibility and bio-equivalence.

Application of 3D Printing in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Evaluation of Administration Routes for Drug-Loaded Composites

“…3 Inkjet-based printers, the most common printer in pharmaceutics, 11 can eject the ink onto the supporting substrate by the mentioned forces. 9,12 The deposited substrate can be solidified using different mechanisms such as cross-linking, pH, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. 9 Therefore, critical factors in this printing process may be classified into droplet size, patterns, deposition rate, and usage of safe volatile solvent.…”

“…9 Here, it should be considered that the filament characteristics and nozzle clogging are essential factors to be analyzed. 9,12 Elasticity, stiffness, and the homogeneous dimension of the filaments are other vital factors that should be optimized. 12 Fused deposition modeling (FDM), which operates based on extruding a thermoplastic filament through a high-temperature nozzle, can be categorized as the major subtype of EBP 3 and is suitable for the rapid fabrication of small-scale unit composites.…”

A Review on Present and Future Outlook of 3d Printing in Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

“…3-D printing technology is started gaining too much attention to formulation development in the manufacturing units for efficiency and effective strategies and able to overcome disadvantages of traditional drug delivery systems [7,8]. In the manufacturing of conventional drug delivery systems, various units are controlled over time being which can be updated to the quick and huge amount of production by 3D printing technology and reduction of material waste with cost-effectiveness [9,10].…”

Innovation and Adaptation

“…3-D printing has evolved from a hobbyist's dream to an important tool in prosthetics, industry, drug delivery, and medicine. [1][2][3] It is certainly exciting that scientists, engineers, and medical practitioners in our country are beginning to engage in this trailblazing field.The article by Gavino, et al combines two highly specialized procedures -brachial plexus reconstruction and markerless motion analysis, the latter an innovation in itself, and creates a novel method of evaluating results of surgical procedures. 4,5 Treatment of brachial plexus injuries, which bring catastrophic damage to the nerve supply to the upper extremity, need accurate evaluation of their outcomes.…”

“…3-D printing has evolved from a hobbyist's dream to an important tool in prosthetics, industry, drug delivery, and medicine. [1][2][3] It is certainly exciting that scientists, engineers, and medical practitioners in our country are beginning to engage in this trailblazing field.…”