Selective Laser Sintering 3-Dimensional Printing as a Single Step Process to Prepare Amorphous Solid Dispersion...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical technology
• Materials science
• Additive manufacturing

Background:

• Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) enhance drug solubility but typically require multi-step manufacturing processes.
• Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing technique with potential for pharmaceutical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single-step method for creating ritonavir-copovidone ASDs and dosage forms using SLS 3D printing.
• To investigate the impact of processing parameters on ASD formation and drug conversion.
• To evaluate the solubility enhancement of the 3D-printed dosage forms.

Main Methods:

• Development of ritonavir-copovidone ASDs using SLS 3D printing with varying drug loads and processing conditions.
• Characterization of ASDs using techniques such as wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR).
• Assessment of powder flow properties, surface temperature, chamber temperature, laser speed, and hatch spacing for successful ASD formation.

Main Results:

• Successful formation of ritonavir-copovidone ASDs in a single-step SLS 3D printing process.
• Full conversion of crystalline ritonavir to its amorphous form was confirmed via WAXS and ssNMR.
• An optimal combination of processing parameters was identified as critical for ASD formation, preventing print failures.
• SLS 3D printed tablets exhibited a significant 21-fold increase in solubility compared to crystalline ritonavir.

Conclusions:

• SLS 3D printing offers a streamlined, single-step platform for fabricating ASD-based pharmaceutical dosage forms.
• This approach effectively enhances drug solubility, presenting a promising alternative to conventional ASD manufacturing methods.
• Optimization of SLS processing parameters is essential for achieving high-quality amorphous solid dispersions and improved drug bioavailability.