Modification of Prednisolone Acetate Release from Monolithic 3D-Printed Systems: The Role of Formulation Composition...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• 3D Printing Applications
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• 3D printing offers precise control over drug release profiles through formulation and parameter adjustments.
• Prednisolone acetate is a corticosteroid used for various inflammatory conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize 3D-printed tablets containing prednisolone acetate.
• To investigate the influence of formulation composition and printing parameters (infill density and pattern) on drug release.

Main Methods:

• Filaments were prepared via hot melt extrusion using polyvinyl alcohol, sorbitol, prednisolone acetate, and sodium alginate (in select formulations).
• Tablets were fabricated using fused deposition modeling (3D printing).
• Evaluations included mass variation, dimensions, hardness, content uniformity, and drug release rate.

Main Results:

• Sorbitol was essential for filament integrity; formulations without it yielded defective filaments.
• All successful filament formulations (F2-F4) showed uniform structure and homogeneous drug distribution.
• 3D-printed tablets met pharmacopeial standards for uniformity and physical properties.
• Lower infill density accelerated drug release; sodium alginate slowed release, especially at higher infill densities and with gyroid patterns.
• Higher sorbitol content increased prednisolone acetate release rate.

Conclusions:

• Infill density is the primary factor governing drug release kinetics in 3D-printed tablets.
• The A100G formulation (100% infill density, gyroid pattern) demonstrated suitability for sustained prednisolone acetate release.