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3D-Printed Solid Dispersion Drug Products
Suet Li Chew1, Laura Modica de Mohac1,2, Bahijja Tolulope Raimi-Abraham1
1Drug Delivery Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
Pharmaceutics
|December 15, 2019
Summary
Three-dimensional (3D) printing shows promise for fixed-dose combination drug delivery. Optimizing solvent choice improved drug loading in filaments, leading to 3D printed solid dispersions with favorable dissolution.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Additive manufacturing, particularly 3D printing, offers significant advantages for drug delivery systems.
- Despite its potential, regulatory approval for 3D printed pharmaceuticals remains limited, highlighting a need for further research and development.
- Fixed-dose combination products are crucial for improving patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of creating fixed-dose combination solid dispersion drug products using 3D printing.
- To optimize drug loading into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) filaments for 3D printing applications.
- To evaluate the influence of solvent selection on drug loading and filament properties.
Main Methods:
- Two model drugs, fluorescein sodium (FS) and 5-aminosalicyclic acid (5-ASA), were impregnated onto PVA filaments.
- The effect of solvent polarity on drug loading efficiency was systematically studied.
- Physicochemical and mechanical properties of the drug-loaded filaments were analyzed.
- 3D printing was employed to fabricate fixed-dose combination solid dispersion products.
Main Results:
- Solvent choice significantly impacted drug loading, improving it by one- to threefold based on solvent polarity.
- The 3D printed products were confirmed to be solid dispersions containing both model drugs.
- The resultant fixed-dose combination products demonstrated favorable in vitro dissolution characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Solvent selection is a critical factor for enhancing drug loading in 3D printable pharmaceutical filaments.
- 3D printing is a viable technique for producing fixed-dose combination solid dispersion drug products.
- The developed 3D printed solid dispersions exhibit promising dissolution profiles for potential pharmaceutical applications.
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