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Updated: May 8, 2026
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Published on: March 22, 2013
From Digital Design to Dosage Performance: Material-Process-Geometry Interactions in 3D-Printed Oral Tablets
Aarya Rajendra Menkudale1, Prerana V Poojary2, Swohinee Sarkar2
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India.
AAPS Pharmscitech
|May 6, 2026
Summary
Drug release from 3D-printed tablets depends on material properties and processing conditions, not just geometry. Optimizing these interactions ensures predictable drug delivery and regulatory compliance in pharmaceutical additive manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Additive manufacturing (AM) offers precise control over oral solid dosage form geometry, internal design, and drug dosage.
- Current understanding often oversimplifies drug release from 3D-printed tablets, focusing solely on geometric factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review recent literature (2019-2025) on drug release from 3D-printed tablets.
- To emphasize the crucial role of material-geometry-process interactions in determining drug release behavior.
- To integrate Quality by Design (QbD) and Process Analytical Technology (PAT) principles for enhanced control.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature analysis of various AM techniques (FDM, SLS, SLA/DLP, SSE, etc.).
- Examination of material properties (rheology, thermal processing, sintering, crosslinking, droplet transport) and their influence on stability windows.
- Focus on real-time monitoring of process variables and microstructural attributes.
Main Results:
- Drug release is significantly influenced by material properties and processing conditions within specific stability windows.
- Geometry acts as a secondary control parameter, subordinate to optimized material states and process development.
- Integration of QbD and PAT enables real-time control of geometry and quality attributes.
Conclusions:
- A mechanistic understanding of drug release requires considering material-geometry-process interactions.
- This approach provides a quality-focused rationale for technology selection, formulation, and regulatory compliance in pharmaceutical AM.
- Addressing inter-printer variability and feedstock qualification is crucial for translation.
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