Scientists develop 3D printed pills for time-controlled release

Betsy Goodfellow | June 19, 2023 | News story | Research and Development 3d printed pills, 3d printing, Max Planck Insititute, Pharmacy, University of California 

A team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Informatics, Germany, and the University of California, US, have developed a process of 3D printing pills in unusual shapes, allowing a time-controlled release as the object’s shape means it will dissolve in a predetermined manner.

This development aims to address issues with controlling patients’ levels of pharmaceutical drugs which is often problematic with orally administered drugs. Advances in 3D printing have allowed this team of scientists to create complex shapes and free-form drugs, with the aim to regulate constant distribution of the biochemicals.

This project has been led by Dr Vahid Babaei, from the MPI for Informatics, and Professor Julian Panetta at the University of California. The 3D printing technology has allowed their teams to produce pills that dissolve in specific amounts of time, releasing their content in more controlled ways, allowing them to set predetermined drug concentrations in orally delivered drugs.

According to the press release: “Since no external influence is possible after ingestion in the digestive tract, the desired time-dependent drug release must be generated by the shape (active surface that dissolves) of the specimen. With some effort, the time-dependent dissolution can be calculated from a given geometric shape.”

The release concludes that this technology is not only useful for pharmaceuticals but “further possibilities include the production of catalytic bodies or even coarse granular fertilisers.”

Betsy Goodfellow

Related Content

3D printer

Featured market report: 3D printing market summary

The global 3D printing medical devices market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of …

3D printer

It’s finally here: 3D-printed pills and technology in pharma

The notion of tailor-made drugs, which are customised to an individual patient’s needs, has seen …

Spritam

First 3D-printed drug approved by FDA

The world of medicine saw a new pharma milestone this week, with the first approval …

Latest content