Fused Deposition Modelling 3D-Printed Gastro-Retentive Floating Device for Propranolol Hcl Tablets

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Conventional drug manufacturing faces limitations in creating complex drug delivery systems.
• Personalized therapies require customized drug release profiles, a challenge for traditional methods.
• Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) offers a solution for advanced dosage form design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a gastric floating tablet with prolonged gastric retention time and a sustained drug release profile.
• To develop a multifunctional dosage form using fused deposition modelling (FDM)-based 3D printing.
• To investigate the potential of 3D printing for creating gastro retentive floating devices (GRFDs) with improved oral bioavailability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a dual-compartment GRFD using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polylactic acid (PLA) filaments via FDM-based 3D printing.
• Design of the GRFD with an air-filled chamber for buoyancy and a central opening as a drug release window (1-4 mm).
• Evaluation of in vitro buoyancy, morphological characterization using SEM, and drug release profiles using USP type II dissolution apparatus.

Main Results:

• All fabricated GRFDs demonstrated good floating ability and sustained drug release.
• GRFDs made with PLA filament exhibited excellent buoyancy (>24 hours) and sustained drug release for up to 10 hours.
• Drug release and floating behavior were influenced by the size of the drug release window and filament material properties.

Conclusions:

• 3D printing enables the creation of GRFDs with tunable buoyancy and drug release characteristics.
• The developed GRFDs show significant potential for modifying drug release and can be applied to immediate-release products.
• This technology offers a promising approach for personalized drug delivery and enhanced oral bioavailability.