Drug Dissolution Enhancement Using 3D-Printed Silica-Based Oral Films
Dagmar Blaháčková1, Jan Elbl1, Lukas C Lammerding2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, Palackého třída 1946/1, Brno, 61200, Czech Republic.
The AAPS Journal
|December 8, 2025
Summary
Developing porous orodispersible films (ODFs) and using 3D printing significantly enhanced the dissolution of poorly soluble dexamethasone, offering a promising approach for improved drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Orodispersible films (ODFs) offer convenient drug administration but struggle with loading poorly soluble drugs.
- Limited drug loading capacity hinders the development of ODFs for challenging compounds.
- Optimizing ODF structure is crucial for enhancing the dissolution of poorly soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize porous ODF matrices suitable for 3D printing medicated inks.
- To investigate the effect of macroporosity on drug dissolution kinetics for both soluble and insoluble drugs.
- To enhance the release of poorly soluble dexamethasone using porous ODFs and 3D printing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of porous ODFs using solvent casting with silica- and silicate-based porogens.
- Loading of caffeine and dexamethasone into ODFs via 3D printing.
- Comprehensive characterization including micro-CT, BET, SEM, Raman, FTIR, XRD, and dissolution studies.
Main Results:
- Silica-based porogens enabled tunable macroporosity, supporting high drug loads (3-5x ink volume).
- 3D printed dexamethasone on porous ODFs showed significantly enhanced dissolution (79.2%) compared to powdered form (29.9%).
- Readily soluble caffeine exhibited a transient dissolution delay, attributed to particle size and film disintegration.
Conclusions:
- Integrating porous matrix design with 3D printing effectively enhances the dissolution of poorly soluble drugs like dexamethasone.
- The developed porous ODFs demonstrate high drug loading capacity and improved drug release profiles.
- Structural modifications of ODFs are key drivers for enhanced drug dissolution without adverse drug-matrix interactions.
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