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

Seng Han Lim1, Himanshu Kathuria1, Justin Jia Yao Tan1

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, 18 Science Drive 4, Block S4A, Level 3, 117543, Singapore.

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The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
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Drug Delivery: Enteral Route01:18

Drug Delivery: Enteral Route

The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
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Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route01:29

Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route

The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
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Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection,  and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
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Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins01:25

Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins

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