3D printed drug delivery and testing systems - a passing fad or the future?

Adv Drug Deliv Rev

School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Pharmacy and Bank Building A15, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

Published: July 2018


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Article Abstract

The US Food and Drug Administration approval of the first 3D printed tablet in 2015 has ignited growing interest in 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), for drug delivery and testing systems. Beyond just a novel method for rapid prototyping, AM provides key advantages over traditional manufacturing of drug delivery and testing systems. These includes the ability to fabricate complex geometries to achieve variable drug release kinetics; ease of personalising pharmacotherapy for patient and lowering the cost for fabricating personalised dosages. Furthermore, AM allows fabrication of complex and micron-sized tissue scaffolds and models for drug testing systems that closely resemble in vivo conditions. However, there are several limitations such as regulatory concerns that may impede the progression to market. Here, we provide an overview of the advantages of AM drug delivery and testing, as compared to traditional manufacturing techniques. Also, we discuss the key challenges and future directions for AM enabled pharmaceutical applications.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2018.05.006DOI Listing

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