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Mechanically promoted lipid-based filaments via composition tuning for extrusion-based 3D-printing
Moaaz Abdelhamid1, Carolina Corzo2, Ana Belén Ocampo2
1Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, Graz, Austria; Institute for Process and Particle Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|July 31, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed highly flexible 3D-printing filaments using a lipid-based excipient, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (PGFAs). Adjusting the composition significantly improved mechanical properties, enabling personalized drug manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Lipid excipients offer advantages like biodegradability and low toxicity for pharmaceutical formulations.
- Advanced manufacturing, including 3D printing, holds promise for personalized medicine, especially for thermolabile drugs.
- Current limitations in 3D-printing filaments, particularly weak mechanical properties, hinder the full potential of lipid-based excipients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop highly flexible 3D-printing filaments using a specific lipid-based excipient, PG6-C16P.
- To enhance the mechanical properties of these filaments for improved 3D-printability.
- To assess the suitability of PG6-C16P as a printing excipient for drug delivery applications.
Main Methods:
- Extrusion of filaments using PG6-C16P, a polyglycerol ester of fatty acids (PGFAs), by tuning the ratio of its major and minor composition fractions.
- Evaluation of mechanical filament properties and 3D-printability.
- Application of a novel liquid feeding approach to further improve filament properties and address extrusion limitations.
- Incorporation of drugs into the filaments and assessment of mechanical properties and drug release patterns.
Main Results:
- Increasing the minor fraction percentage in PG6-C16P enhanced filament mechanical properties by 50-fold, ensuring flawless 3D-printability.
- The novel liquid feeding approach improved mechanical properties at lower minor fraction percentages and increased throughput compared to standard extrusion.
- Filaments maintained high mechanical integrity after drug incorporation, exhibiting controlled drug release.
Conclusions:
- PG6-C16P demonstrates potential as an advanced lipid-based material for pharmaceutical 3D printing.
- The developed filaments offer enhanced mechanical properties and controlled drug release, suitable for personalized drug manufacturing.
- This research highlights PG6-C16P as a competitive printing excipient for filament-based 3D-printing applications.
