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3D printing tablets for high-precision dose titration of caffeine
Liam Krueger1, Yuxue Cao1, Zheng Zheng1
1School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|June 14, 2023
Summary
3D printing (3DP) enables precise caffeine dose titration for personalized medicine, offering superior accuracy and drug release compared to traditional methods. This advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technique ensures consistent medication delivery, minimizing adverse reactions during dose adjustments.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Technology
- Personalized Medicine
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing has limitations in customizing drug dosages for personalized medicine.
- Dose titration, crucial for managing medication withdrawal and adverse effects, is often difficult with standard dosage forms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the accuracy and precision of 3D printing (3DP) for caffeine dose titration.
- To evaluate 3DP caffeine tablets against commercially available options and assess drug release profiles.
Main Methods:
- Utilized hot melt extrusion and fused deposition modelling 3DP with a polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, and starch filament.
- Printed caffeine tablets at 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg doses.
- Assessed drug content, precision, material integrity (DSC, TGA, HPLC, SEM), and dissolution profiles.
Main Results:
- Successfully printed caffeine tablets within the 90-110% drug content range.
- Achieved high precision with relative standard deviation ≤3% for tablet weights.
- Demonstrated no degradation of caffeine or raw materials and a predictable rapid release profile (>70% in 50-60 min).
- 3D printed tablets showed superior performance compared to splitting commercial tablets.
Conclusions:
- 3D printing offers a highly accurate and precise method for pharmaceutical dose titration.
- This technology facilitates personalized medicine by enabling customized medication regimens, especially beneficial for drugs with titration-dependent adverse reactions.
- 3DP presents a viable alternative to conventional manufacturing for creating tailored drug delivery systems.
