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Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
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Manipulating drug release from 3D printed dual-drug loaded polypills using challenging polymer compositions
Thomas McDonagh1, Peter Belton2, Sheng Qi1
1School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|March 27, 2023
Summary
3D printing enables dual-drug formulations for complex diseases. Simultaneous and delayed release profiles were achieved, offering insights into multi-drug delivery systems for polypharmacy management.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Combining multiple medications in a single dosage form addresses complex diseases and polypharmacy.
- 3D printing offers novel approaches for creating advanced drug delivery systems.
- Erodible and swellable systems are explored for controlled drug release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the suitability of dual-drug formulations for simultaneous, delayed, and pulsatile release profiles.
- To evaluate the Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) 3D printing method for creating these formulations.
- To assess drug-excipient interactions and in vitro drug release characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of binary systems using Eudragit E PO (paracetamol) and Soluplus (felodipine).
- Fabrication of tablets using Arburg Plastic Freeforming (APF) 3D printing.
- Characterization using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), ATR-FTIR, and DSC.
- In vitro dissolution testing to evaluate drug release profiles.
Main Results:
- APF 3D printing successfully produced reproducible dual-drug tablets.
- Simultaneous and delayed drug release profiles were effectively achieved as designed.
- Pulsatile drug release profiles were not well-defined, indicating limitations with erodible materials for this specific design.
- Drug-excipient interactions were assessed using spectroscopic and thermal analysis.
Conclusions:
- APF 3D printing is a viable method for producing complex dual-drug formulations with specific release profiles.
- Simultaneous and delayed release designs show promise for managing polypharmacy and complex diseases.
- Erodible materials present design limitations for achieving precise pulsatile drug release.
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