Can filaments be stored as a shelf-item for on-demand manufacturing of oral 3D printed tablets? An initial stability assessment

Customizable Three-Dimensional Printed Earring Tap for Treating Affections Caused by Aesthetic Perforations

This work aimed to develop a three-dimensional (3D) wearable drug-loaded earring tap to treat affections caused by aesthetic perforations. The initial phase involved a combination of polymers to prepare filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing using a centroid mixture design. Optimized filament compositions were used in the second phase to produce 3D printed earring taps containing the anti-inflammatory naringenin. Next, samples were assessed via physicochemical assays followed by in vitro skin permeation studies with porcine ear skin. Two filament compositions were selected for the study's second phase: one to accelerate drug release and another with slow drug dissolution. Both filaments demonstrated chemical compatibility and amorphous behavior. The use of the polymer blend to enhance printability has been confirmed by rheological analysis. The 3D devices facilitated naringenin skin penetration, improving drug recovery from the skin's most superficial layer (3D device A) or inner layers (3D device B). Furthermore, the devices significantly decreased transdermal drug delivery compared to the control containing the free drug. Thus, the resulting systems are promising for producing 3D printed earring taps with topical drug delivery and reinforcing the feasibility of patient-centered drug administration through wearable devices.

Development of 3D printed mini-waffle shapes containing hydrocortisone for children's personalized medicine

Hydrocortisone is mainly used in the substitution treatment of adrenal insufficiency which results in a dysregulation of cortisol. Compounding of hydrocortisone capsules remains the only low-dose oral treatment suitable for the pediatric population. However, capsules often show non-compliance in mass and content uniformity. Three-dimensional printing offers the prospect of practising personalized medicine for vulnerable patients like children. The goal of this work is to develop low-dose solid oral forms containing hydrocortisone by hot-melt extrusion coupled with fused deposition modeling for the pediatric population. Formulation, design and processes temperatures were optimized to produce printed forms with the desired characteristics. Red mini-waffle shapes containing drug loads of 2, 5 and 8 mg were successfully printed. This new 3D design allow to release more than 80% of the drug in 45 minutes indicating a conventional release like the one obtained with capsules. Mass and content uniformity, hardness and friability tests complied with European Pharmacopeia specifications, despite the considerable challenge of the small dimensions of the forms. This study demonstrates that FDM can be used to produce innovative pediatric-friendly printed shapes of an advanced pharmaceutical quality to practice personalize medicine.

Investigation on the use of fused deposition modeling for the production of IR dosage forms containing Timapiprant

The present work focused on evaluating the feasibility of fused deposition modeling (FDM) in the development of a dosage form containing Timapiprant (TMP), also known as CHF6532, which is a novel active molecule indicated in the potential treatment of eosinophilic asthma upon oral administration. The resulting product could be an alternative, with potential towards personalization, of immediate release (IR) tablets used in the clinical studies. Formulations based on different polymeric carriers were screened, leading to the identification of a polyvinyl alcohol-based one, which turned out acceptable for versatility in terms of active ingredient content, printability and dissolution performance (i.e. capability to meet the dissolution specification set, envisaging >80% of the drug dissolved within 30 min). Following an in-depth evaluation on the influence of TMP solid state and of the voids volume resulting from printing on dissolution, few prototypes with shapes especially devised for therapy customization were successfully printed and were compliant with the dissolution specification set.

The Quest for Child-Friendly Carrier Materials Used in the 3D Semi-Solid Extrusion Printing of Medicines

This work gives a brief overview of carrier materials currently used in pharmaceutical studies on the three-dimensional (3D) semi-solid extrusion (SSE) printing of medicines for pediatrics. The suitability of using these carrier materials in pediatric formulations, concerning safety and toxicity, was reviewed by consulting the 'Safety & Toxicity of Excipients for Pediatrics' (STEP) database and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. In the second part of this work, carrier materials were tested on their ability to form a semi-solid mixture with lactose by dual asymmetric centrifugation (DAC) and printing by SSE. With the combination of theoretical and experimental studies, this work will guide research toward grounded decision-making when it comes to carrier material selection for pharmaceutical pediatric 3D SSE printing formulations.

Processability of mesoporous materials in fused deposition modeling for drug delivery of a model thermolabile drug

The incorporation of drug-loaded mesoporous materials in dosage forms prepared with fused deposition modeling (FDM) has shown the potential to solve challenges relating to additive manufacturing techniques, such as the stability of poorly-soluble drugs in the amorphous state. However, the addition of these non-melting mesoporous materials significantly affects the mechanical properties of the filament used in FDM, which in turn affects the printability of the feedstock material. Therefore, in this study a full-factorial experimental design was utilized to investigate different processing parameters of the hot melt extrusion process, their effect on various mechanical properties and the potential correlation with the filaments' printability. The thermolabile, poorly-soluble drug ibuprofen was utilized as a model drug to assess the potential of two mesoporous materials, Mesoporous Magnesium Carbonate (MMC) and a silica-based material (MCM-41), to thermally protect the loaded drug. Factorial and principal components analysis displayed a correlation between non-printable MCM-41 filaments and their mechanical properties where printable filaments had a maximum stress >7.5 MPa and a Young's modulus >83 MPa. For MMC samples there was no clear correlation, which was in large part attributed to the filaments' inconsistencies and imperfections. Finally, both mesoporous materials displayed a thermal protective feature, as the decomposition due to the thermal degradation of a significant portion of the thermolabile drug was shifted to higher temperatures post-loading. This highlights the potential capability of such a system to be implemented for thermosensitive drugs in FDM applications.

Preparation and advanced characterization of highly drug-loaded, 3D printed orodispersible tablets containing fluconazole

Due to the possibility of designing various spatial structures, three-dimensional printing can be implemented in the production of customized medicines. Nevertheless, the use of these methods for the production of dosage forms requires further optimization, understanding, and development of printouts' quality verification mechanisms. Therefore, the goal of our work was the preparation and advanced characterization of 3D printed orodispersible tablets (ODTs) containing fluconazole, printed by the fused deposition modeling (FDM) method. We prepared and analyzed 7 printable filaments containing from 10% to 70% fluconazole, used as model API. Obtaining a FDM-printable filament with such a high API content makes our work unique. In addition, we confirmed the 12-month stability of the formulation, which, to our knowledge, is the first study of this type. Next, we printed 10 series of porous tablets containing 50 mg of API from both fresh and stored filaments containing 20 %, 40 %, or 70 % fluconazole. We confirmed the high quality and precision of the printouts using scanning electron microscopy. The detailed analysis of the tablets' disintegration process included the Pharmacopeial test, but also the surface dissolution imaging analysis (SDI) and the test simulating oral conditions performed in own-constructed apparatus. For each composition, we obtained tablets disintegrating in less than 3 min, i.e., meeting the criteria for ODTs required by the European Pharmacopeia. The filaments' storage at ambient conditions did not affect the quality of the tablets. All printed tablets released over 95% of the fluconazole within 30 min. Moreover, the printouts were stable for two weeks.

3D printing hybrid materials using fused deposition modelling for solid oral dosage forms

3D printing in the pharmaceutical and healthcare settings is expanding rapidly, such as the rapid prototyping of orthotics, dental retainers, drug-loaded implants, and pharmaceutical solid oral dosage forms. Through 3D printing, we have the capability to precisely control dose, release kinetics, and several aesthetic features of dosage forms such as colour, shape, and texture. Additionally, polypills can be created with combinations of medications in one solid dosage form at completely customisable strengths that would be extremely difficult to obtain commercially. As the technology and formulations developed through 3D printing are expanding, the development of new hybrid materials to obtain superior formulations are also gaining momentum. In this review we collate data on the importance of developing hybrid formulations of polymers, drugs and excipients necessary to produce reliable and high-quality 3D printed dosage forms with a special emphasis on fused deposition modelling (FDM). FDM technology is one of the most widely used forms of 3D printing and has demonstrated compatibility with unique polymer-based hybrids to allow for enhanced drug delivery, protection of thermolabile drugs, modifiable release kinetics, and more. The data collated covers different categories of hybrids as well as the methods used to fabricate them, and their respective effects on the properties of 3D printed solid oral dosage forms. Therefore, this review will provide an overview of upcoming and emerging trends in pharmaceutical 3D printing formulation compositions.

Fused deposition modeling 3D printing of solid oral dosage forms containing amorphous solid dispersions: How to elucidate drug dissolution mechanisms through surface spectral analysis techniques?

Many active principles belong to the second class of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System due to their low aqueous solubility. Elaboration of new solid oral forms by hot-melt extrusion and fused deposition modeling appears as a promising tool to increase the dissolution rate of these drugs. Indeed, hot-melt extrusion allows the amorphisation of drugs and forms with complex geometries are built by 3D printing. Therefore, the goal of this work is to enhance the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs using hot-melt extrusion coupled with fused deposition modeling. Four formulations containing Affinisol® 15LV, Kollidon® VA64 and a challenging amount of itraconazole (25% (wt.)) were successfully printed into forms of 20, 50 and 80% infill densities. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis has shown that itraconazole remained amorphous during 52 weeks. The drug release rate was highly improved compared to itraconazole in a crystalline form. The dissolution rate was influenced by the infill density and the polymer composition of printed forms which could modify respectively the surface to volume ratio and the distribution of the components in the printed forms. One formulation printed with 20% infill density even had a solubility profile similar to that of Sporanox®, the commercialized drug product in Belgium.

3D Printing of Pediatric Medication: The End of Bad Tasting Oral Liquids?—A Scoping Review

3D printing of pediatric-centered drug formulations can provide suitable alternatives to current treatment options, though further research is still warranted for successful clinical implementation of these innovative drug products. Extensive research has been conducted on the compliance of 3D-printed drug products to a pediatric quality target product profile. The 3D-printed tablets were of particular interest in providing superior dosing and release profile similarity compared to conventional drug manipulation and compounding methods, such as oral liquids. In the future, acceptance of 3D-printed tablets in the pediatric patient population might be better than current treatments due to improved palatability. Further research should focus on expanding clinical knowledge, providing regulatory guidance and expansion of the product range, including dosage form possibilities. Moreover, it should enable the use of diverse good manufacturing practice (GMP)-ready 3D printing techniques for the production of various drug products for the pediatric patient population.

Controlling drug release with additive manufacturing-based solutions

3D printing is an innovative manufacturing technology with great potential to revolutionise solid dosage forms. Novel features of 3D printing technology confer advantage over conventional solid dosage form manufacturing technologies, including rapid prototyping and an unparalleled capability to fabricate complex geometries with spatially separated conformations. Such a novel technology could transform the pharmaceutical industry, enabling the production of highly personalised dosage forms with well-defined release profiles. In this work, we review the current state of the art of using additive manufacturing for predicting and understanding drug release from 3D printed novel structures. Furthermore, we describe a wide spectrum of 3D printing technologies, materials, procedure, and processing parameters used to fabricate fundamentally different matrices with different drug releases. The different methods to manipulate drug release patterns including the surface area-to-mass ratio, infill pattern, geometry, and composition, are critically evaluated. Moreover, the drug release mechanisms and models that could aid exploiting the release profile are also covered. Finally, this review also covers the design opportunities alongside the technical and regulatory challenges that these rapidly evolving technologies present.