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How 3D Printing is Transforming Pharmaceuticals into More Precise, Effective Treatments

Written by Curify Labs | Oct 27, 2021 7:55:00 AM

In this recent article, the future of 3D printed medicine in personalization of treatments is discussed. Here are some snap shots from the article:

"3D printing is one of the most revolutionary technologies of contemporary life. It’s reducing manufacturing costs, personalising industries, and saving lives one innovation at a time. Computer-aided design files can be customised in a snip, so multifunctional drug delivery systems are finally possible. They can be processed so rapidly that even street corner pharmacists can handle them. Personalised medications are just on the horizon. The technology also tackles one of medicine’s most prominent issues: targeted therapies. In fabricating novel dosage forms on a massive scale, it’s making conventional drug delivery systems a thing of the past. Demand for patient-centric drug product development has been growing rapidly since 2015 when the first 3D printed pill was FDA-approved."

Approaches to 3D Technology

"Today’s medications are prepared using the most popular dosage forms, giving doctors little control over their prescriptions. Personalised 3D printed medicines can be adjusted by their therapeutic value, so doctors can treat their patients rather than the numbers pharmaceutical companies find convenient. In addition, complex drug release profiles allow manufacturers to fabricate complex, porous layers with their own barriers to control release. 3D technology has even been used to create drug implants that release chemicals at specified times.
The first 3D printed product was developed in 1981, but its inventor couldn’t have imagined the seismic waves it would send through the industrial design industry. Its effects on the healthcare industry have been, perhaps, the most surprising. By 1998, NHS Hospitals throughout the UK had used it to create surgical guides and tools, and today, CAD software is been used to print scaffolds for organs, tissues for implants, and structures for orthopaedic care. The first Spritam tablet rolled off production lines in March 2018. Within only a few years, the pharmaceutical industry has developed several unique medical applications that might one day do away with production lines entirely."

Personalised 3D Printed Medicines

"The 3D printing procedure is an elegant solution to personalised drug dosing. Zip dose technology is the forerunner in this area, having been developed for 3D-printed pioneer, Spritam. An inkjet process can layer powdered medication in tiers without compression or classic moulding techniques. In the coming years, pharmacists will be able to print medications unique to every patient, but personalisation’s rewards aren’t limited to dosage alone. Various drugs can be combined in a single pill, helping patients to become more compliant with their prescriptions. Direct-wise 3D microstructures are perfect for that purpose. The technology can be used to manufacture patient-specific medications in custom combinations. Personalised medications are already being manufactured for both customised dosages and formulations. The days when patients had to swallow several pills at a time will soon be over. Mass manufacture will soon be a thing of the past, and the effects are going to send seismic waves through the pharmaceutical industry."
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