The approach of the so-called personalized medicine is getting closer every day, and will come from the hand of 3D technologies. Currently, one of the sectors with the greatest acceptance of these technologies is undoubtedly the medical sector, which has adapted them for the development of prostheses, implants and many more techniques that go as far as the possible development of bioprinted organs in 3D. One of the great developments in this field are also 3D printed medicines, another great advance that brings us closer to medicine adapted to the patient and that could radically change medical treatments. Today we will focus our attention on solving some of the main questions surrounding the manufacture of medicines with 3D technologies: what are the medicine manufacturing techniques that exist today? What have been the first developments? And, of course, what will its settlement mean in the pharmaceutical industry?
Currently, millions of people use daily prescription medications to treat different diseases. Due to the mass production of pills, we often consume doses in excess of those recommended. According to the team of Multiply Labs, manufacturers of pharmaceutical filament for creating 3D pills: “ANDToday, medications are developed especially for adult white men, which means that all women and children are over-prescribed for their bodies. ”, tells us Fred Paretti, CEO of the startup. This fact highlights the importance of the arrival of personalized medications, in addition to highlighting the individuality of each patient. Since the error in the dosage of certain active ingredients can even cause the malfunction of some treatments.
Since 2018 the 3D printed medicine market has a growth rate of 7% | Credits: Industry Stats Report
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Looking at 3D printed drug developments we see an encouraging future. In the last two years the 3D printed medicine market has had a great increase, since 2018 it has an annual growth rate of 7% in value, expecting to reach a value of $ 437.04 million dollars in 2025, according to the Industry Stats Report study. The country that has the most weight in its growth is currently the United States. with 39.75% of total income. This is because the big pharmaceutical companies in the country are betting more on the research and development of 3D techniques.
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When did 3D printed medications start?
It was in 2015 when the first 3D printed medicine arrived: Spritam, a pill created with powder bed technologies used for the treatment of epilepsy. This was also the first drug approved by the FDA (American Food and Drug Administration). This first development created by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals opened the door to the customized and accepted manufacture of pills that allowed a different and personalized dose for each patient. Currently, Apprecia has become one of the key players in this industry, continues to manufacture this drug with its patented ZipDose technology.®, which allows drugs to dissolve in seconds, a great advantage for people suffering from this disease or for patients who have trouble swallowing.
In 2015 the first 3D printed medicine was released: Spritam | Credits: Appreciates Pharmaceuticals
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The same year that Spritam arrived, Dr. Martin Burke of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and his team of researchers developed a 3D printer for the manufacture of drugs through blocks of molecules. This was accomplished by noting that in the case of small molecules there are some repeating patterns (groups of atoms). Therefore, they isolated hundreds of these patterns and created the 3D printer capable of assembling them to create the desired molecule, which in their case contained chemical compounds, allowing the development of custom pills.
Another of the great findings that were released in the early years of 3D drug development was a study by the National University of Singapore (NUS) showing that they could be print multiple medications on one pillas well as scheduling the release of substances. The company that has brought this idea to reality and started in 2016 is the startup Multiply Labs, which is currently dedicated to the manufacture of pharmaceutical filament that allows the printing of pills, with scheduled release: “At Multiply Labs, we apply 3D printing to the manufacture of the medicine capsule or container. It is not a normal capsule, inside this 3D printed cover, we actually have separate cameras or compartments. And each part of the capsule can release a medicine in a different time ”, Paretti tells us. Although this company is not dedicated to the printing of active substances, its 3D printed pills can be a solution for large pharmaceutical companies, which would allow consuming only one pill per day to meet different needs.
Multiply Labs Creates 3D Printed Pills That Store Different Active Compounds | Credits: Multiply Labs
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3D drug manufacturing technologies that exist today
Since the arrival of the first 3D printed medicine in 2015, the development of techniques for its 3D manufacturing have been increasing. Taking up the foundations of the already known 3D printing technologies, the pharmaceutical sector has been able to adapt them for use. In the identification of these techniques we have had the collaboration of FabRx, “Pharmaceutical biotechnology spin-out from University College of London (UCL), which specializes in 3D printing of oral dosage forms, i.e., drug creation through additive manufacturing”Patricija Januskaite Senior Scientist at the pharmaceutical company told us.
Fused Deposition (FDM)
The FDM / FFF technique is one of the most widespread in 3D medicine printing. Filaments loaded with drugs can be used to make the pills. One of the great challenges in using this technique is adjusting the extrusion temperatures so that this does not affect the active ingredients in each pill. “Fused deposition modeling has the ability to make combinations of multiple medications (polyps) as well as sustained or delayed-release tablets. “, Patricija tells us.
In addition to the technique of loading the filaments with medicines, there is also the possibility of using pharmaceutical filaments that would not affect the contained medicine, such is the case of the development of Multiply Labs that also allow the creation of capsules with controlled release: “We can 3D print a compartment / pill with a very thin wall that can release the product, in about 30 minutes, and then add another wall that can release another medicine in 2 hours; all in a single capsule with two compartments that allow a scheduled release, “says Fred.
Direct powder extrusion
This is a technique similar to that used for the development of the first 3D printed medicine: ZipDose®In the case of the latter, its development is mainly used to create drugs with a high medication load and with a high disintegration due to the porosity of the materials. Direct powder extrusion as such has been patented by FabRx. It is the extrusion of powder material (a mixture of active ingredients and excipients) through a nozzle using a single screw extruder. These types of medications allow sustained or delayed release dosing, according to the British pharmacist.
Stereolithography (SLA)
Stereolithography or SLA as in the techniques that we already know uses photopolymers for the solidification of resins or liquid materials. In the case of this technology, drugs can be incorporated into the polymer network to produce pills loaded with active ingredients or to develop sustained-release medical devices. This technology is the one that best allows the combination of different medicines in the same 3D container.
Selective Laser Sintering Technology (SLS)
The manufacture of a 3D pill with SLS technology, refers to the mixing of active principles with some copolymers, achieving the fusion of said powders through a laser, being the same principle of the SLS technique that we know. Using this technique allows drugs with various characteristics to be created: they can range from controlled release dosage forms to orodispersibles.
Pills created with Sintratec’s SLS technology | Credits: Sintratec
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Inkjet printing
Although this technique reminds us of 2D printing methods, by analyzing it it could even get closer to Binder Jetting technology. In the case of drug manufacturing, combinations of active ingredients and excipients or inks are sprayed through the nozzle that deposits 3D structures. They solidify with the help of a powder substrate that is subsequently sprayed.
In addition to the techniques mentioned, there are variations in some of them, and many pharmaceutical companies are developing their own technologies or improving some of those that already exist.
What future holds for 3D drug manufacturing?
Although we can still consider that we are in an early phase of 3D drug development, and the official arrival of personalized medicine, we cannot deny that the growth of this sector is going by leaps and bounds. The companies interviewed agree that we will see changes in our drug consumption in less than a decade if this continues to grow as it has been up to now.
In addition to the speed of development, the importance of subjecting these developments to the regulations of a sector such as the medical must not be neglected. Since, like the arrival of many new technologies, a misuse of drug printing could lead to damage in many patients, and even allow the adaptation of these techniques for the inclusion of other substances harmful to health.
Still, we know that the future of 3D medicines is undoubtedly promising and that it will change the course of medicine today: “In ten years, no patient will accept the same as another million people. And no doctor will prescribe the same to two patients, “concludes Fred Paretti of Multiply Labs.
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