3D Printed Mini-Floating-Polypill for Parkinson's Disease: Combination of Levodopa, Benserazide, and Pramipexole in Various Dosing for Personalized Therapy

The Future of Medicine: How 3D Printing Is Transforming Pharmaceuticals

Three-dimensional printing technology is transforming pharmaceutical manufacturing by shifting from conventional mass production to additive manufacturing, with a strong emphasis on personalized medicine. The integration of bioinks and AI-driven optimization is further enhancing this innovation, enabling drug production with precise dosages, tailored drug-release profiles, and unique multi-drug combinations that respond to individual patient needs. This advancement is significantly impacting healthcare by accelerating drug development, encouraging innovative pharmaceutical designs, and enhancing treatment efficacy. Traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing follows a one-size-fits-all approach, which often fails to meet the specific requirements of patients with unique medical conditions. In contrast, 3D printing, coupled with bioink formulations, allows for on-demand drug production, reducing dependency on large-scale manufacturing and storage. AI-powered design and process optimization further refine dosage forms, printability, and drug release mechanisms, ensuring precision and efficiency in drug manufacturing. These advancements have the potential to lower overall healthcare costs while improving patient adherence to medication regimens. This review explores the potential, challenges, and environmental benefits of 3D pharmaceutical printing, positioning it as a key driver of next-generation personalized medicine.

Pharmaceutical 3D Printing Technology Integrating Nanomaterials and Nanodevices for Precision Neurological Therapies

Pharmaceutical 3D printing, combined with nanomaterials and nanodevices, presents a transformative approach to precision medicine for treating neurological diseases. This technology enables the creation of tailored dosage forms with controlled release profiles, enhancing drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The integration of nanoparticles, such as poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), chitosan, and metallic nanomaterials, into 3D-printed scaffolds improves treatment efficacy by providing targeted and prolonged drug release. Recent advances have demonstrated the potential of these systems in treating conditions like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and brain tumors. Moreover, 3D printing allows for multi-drug combinations and personalized formulations that adapt to individual patient needs. Novel drug delivery approaches, including stimuli-responsive systems, on-demand dosing, and theragnostics, provide new possibilities for the real-time monitoring and treatment of neurological disorders. Despite these innovations, challenges remain in terms of scalability, regulatory approval, and long-term safety. The future perspectives of this technology suggest its potential to revolutionize neurological treatments by offering patient-specific therapies, improved drug penetration, and enhanced treatment outcomes. This review discusses the current state, applications, and transformative potential of 3D printing and nanotechnology in neurological treatment, highlighting the need for further research to overcome the existing challenges.

3D printing of pharmaceutical dosage forms: Recent advances and applications

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing, is considered to be a game-changing technology in many industries and is also considered to have potential use cases in pharmaceutical manufacturing, especially if individualization is desired. In this review article the authors systematically researched literature published during the last 5 years (2019 - spring 2024) on the topic of 3D printed dosage forms. Besides all kinds of oral dosage forms ranging from tablets and capsules to films, pellets, etc., numerous reports were also identified on parenteral and cutaneous dosage forms and also rectal, vaginal, dental, intravesical, and ophthalmic preparations. In total, more than 500 publications were identified and grouped according to the site of administration, and an overview of the manuscripts is presented here. Furthermore, selected publications are described and discussed in more detail. The review highlights the very different approaches that are currently used in order to develop 3D printed dosage forms but also addresses remaining challenges.

Optimising 3D printed medications for rare diseases: In-line mass uniformity testing in direct powder extrusion 3D printing

Biotinidase deficiency is a rare inherited disorder characterized by biotin metabolism issues, leading to neurological and cutaneous symptoms that can be alleviated through biotin administration. Three-dimensional (3D) printing (3DP) offers potential for personalized medicine production for rare diseases, due to its flexibility in designing dosage forms and controlling release profiles. For such point-of-care applications, rigorous quality control (QC) measures are essential to ensure precise dosing, optimal performance, and product safety, especially for low personalized doses in preclinical and clinical studies. In this work, we addressed QC challenges by integrating a precision balance into a direct powder extrusion pharmaceutical 3D printer (M3DIMAKER™) for real-time, in-line mass uniformity testing, a critical quality control step. Small and large capsule-shaped biotin printlets (3D printed tablets) for immediate- and extended-release were printed. The integrated balance monitored and registered each printlet's weight, identifying any deviations from acceptable limits. While all large printlet batches met mass uniformity criteria, some small printlet batches exhibited weight deviations. In vitro release studies showed large immediate-release printlets releasing 82% of biotin within 45 min, compared to 100% for small immediate-release printlets. For extended-release formulations, 35% of the drug was released from small printlets, whereas 24% was released from large printlets at the same time point. The integration of process analytical technology tools in 3DP shows promise in enhancing QC and scalability of personalized dosing at the point-of-care, demonstrating successful integration of a balance into a direct powder extrusion 3D printer for in-line mass uniformity testing across different sizes of capsule-shaped printlets.

3D-printed solid oral dosage forms for mental and neurological disorders: recent advances and future perspectives

INTRODUCTION

3D printing (3DP) applications in medicine are intensively investigated, creating an opportunity to provide patient-tailored therapy by delivering a drug with an accurate dose and release profile. Moving away from the 'one size fits all' paradigm, it could be beneficial for treating mental and neurological disorders, improving the efficiency and safety of the therapy. The aim of this critical review is to assess recent advances and identify gaps regarding 3DP in this important and challenging field, by focusing on recent research examples.

AREAS COVERED

Applications of the 3DP techniques for solid dosage forms in mental and neurological disorders have been covered and discussed, together with recent advantages, limitations, and future directions.

EXPERT OPINION

The personalize treatment, which is considered as the most significant advantage of the 3DP technique, can be beneficial in mental and neurological disorders therapy, where the dose should be adjusted to the patient. Printing of medicines enables creating the structure modifications and thus controlling the drug release or combining multiple drugs into one tablet, simplifying the dose regimen. Medications printed on-demand, in health-care facilities, could address the special needs of pediatric patients and help avoid interruptions in the supply chain. Despite promising advances, the described methods have limitations and need further investigation before being scaled-up to an industrial manufacturing environment. There is also a need to establish protocols for the preparation and registration of 3DP dosage forms.

Drug-Drug Interactions and Synergy: From Pharmacological Models to Clinical Application

This review explores the concept of synergy in pharmacology, emphasizing its importance in optimizing treatment outcomes through the combination of drugs with different mechanisms of action. Synergy, defined as an effect greater than the expected additive effect elicited by individual agents according to specific predictive models, offers a promising approach to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse events. The historical evolution of synergy research, from ancient civilizations to modern pharmacology, highlights the ongoing quest to understand and harness synergistic interactions. Key concepts, such as concentration-response curves, additive effects, and predictive models, are discussed in detail, emphasizing the need for accurate assessment methods throughout translational drug development. Although various mathematical models exist for synergy analysis, selecting the appropriate model and software tools remains a challenge, necessitating careful consideration of experimental design and data interpretation. Furthermore, this review addresses practical considerations in synergy assessment, including preclinical and clinical approaches, mechanism of action, and statistical analysis. Optimizing synergy requires attention to concentration/dose ratios, target site localization, and timing of drug administration, ensuring that the benefits of combination therapy detected bench-side are translatable into clinical practice. Overall, the review advocates for a systematic approach to synergy assessment, incorporating robust statistical analysis, effective and simplified predictive models, and collaborative efforts across pivotal sectors, such as academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and regulatory agencies. By overcoming critical challenges and maximizing therapeutic potential, effective synergy assessment in drug development holds promise for advancing patient care. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Combining drugs with different mechanisms of action for synergistic interactions optimizes treatment efficacy and safety. Accurate interpretation of synergy requires the identification of the expected additive effect. Despite innovative models to predict the additive effect, consensus in drug-drug interactions research is lacking, hindering the bench-to-bedside development of combination therapies. Collaboration among science, industry, and regulation is crucial for advancing combination therapy development, ensuring rigorous application of predictive models in clinical settings.

Current trends in 3D printed gastroretentive floating drug delivery systems: A comprehensive review

Gastrointestinal (GI) environment is influenced by several factors (gender, genetics, sex, disease state, food) leading to oral drug absorption variability or to low bioavailability. In this scenario, gastroretentive drug delivery systems (GRDDS) have been developed in order to solve absorption problems, to lead to a more effective local therapy or to allow sustained drug release during a longer time period than the typical oral sustained release dosage forms. Among all GRDDS, floating systems seem to provide a promising and practical approach for achieving a long intra-gastric residence time and sustained release profile. In the last years, a novel technique is being used to manufacture this kind of systems: three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. This technique provides a versatile and easy process to manufacture personalized drug delivery systems. This work presents a systematic review of the main 3D printing based designs proposed up to date to manufacture floating systems. We have also summarized the most important parameters involved in buoyancy and sustained release of the systems, in order to facilitate the scale up of this technology to industrial level. Finally, a section discussing about the influence of materials in drug release, their biocompatibility and safety considerations have been included.

Fabrication of Polypill Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms Using Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

The pharmacy profession has undergone significant changes driven by advancements in patient care and healthcare systems. The FDA approval of Spritam® (levetiracetam), the first 3D-printed drug, has sparked increased interest in the use of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing for pharmaceutical applications, particularly in the production of polypills.

METHODS

This review provides an overview of FDM 3D printing in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms, focusing on its operation, printing parameters, materials, additives, advantages, and limitations. Key aspects, such as the ability to personalize medication and the challenges associated with the technique, including drug stability at high temperatures, are discussed.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies relevant to FDM 3D-printed polypills were analyzed from an initial pool of 60. The increasing number of publications highlights the growing global interest in this technology, with the UK contributing the highest number of studies.

CONCLUSIONS

FDM 3D printing offers significant potential for personalized medicine by enabling precise control over dosage forms and tailoring treatments to individual patient needs. However, limitations such as high printing temperatures and the lack of standardized GMP guidelines for large-scale production must be addressed to fully realize its potential in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Potential of 3D printing in development of foods for special medical purpose: A review

Nutritional management has emerged as an effective strategy to mitigate the risks of malnutrition and disease-related mortality among patients. The emergence of novel food types, particularly foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs), has garnered increasing attention from researchers and businesses. 3D printing (3DP) technology, alternatively known as food additive manufacturing, has gained popularity among novel food developers due to its distinct capabilities in tailoring nutrition, appearance, texture, and enhancing overall edible quality. This review examines current market trends, product forms, and unique characteristics of FSMPs, highlighting the progress made in applying 3DP to the development of functional foods and drugs. Despite its potential medical benefits, there are limited instances of direct utilization of 3DP in the production of such specialized food type. Currently, the FSMP market faces several challenges, including limited product diversity, inadequate formula design, and a lack of product appeal. 3DP offers significant advantages in catering to the unique needs of special patients, encompassing both physiological medical benefits and enhanced sensory as well as psychological eating experiences. It holds great promise in promoting precision medicine and personalized home-based FSMPs preparations. This review will delve into the development strategies and feasibility of 3DP in creating specialized medical food for patients with unique conditions and across different age groups. Additionally, it explores the potential challenges of applying 3DP to the FSMP sector, such as regulatory frameworks, patient acceptance, cost of 3D-printed FSMPs, and the improvement of 3DP.

Expanding the Manufacturing Approaches for Gastroretentive Drug Delivery Systems with 3D Printing Technology

Gastroretentive drug delivery systems (GRDDSs) have gained substantial attention in the last 20 years due to their ability to retain the drug in the stomach for an extended time, thus promoting an extended release and high bioavailability for a broad range of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that are pH-sensitive and/or have a narrow absorption window. The currently existing GRDDSs include floating, expanding, mucoadhesive, magnetic, raft-forming, ion-exchanging, and high-density systems. Although there are seven types of systems, the main focus is on floating, expanding, and mucoadhesive systems produced by various techniques, 3D printing being one of the most revolutionary and currently studied ones. This review assesses the newest production technologies and briefly describes the in vitro and in vivo evaluation methods, with the aim of providing a better overall understanding of GRDDSs as a novel emerging strategy for targeted drug delivery.

The potential of three-dimensional printing for pediatric oral solid dosage forms

Pediatric patients often require individualized dosing of medicine due to their unique pharmacokinetic and developmental characteristics. Current methods for tailoring the dose of pediatric medications, such as tablet splitting or compounding liquid formulations, have limitations in terms of dosing accuracy and palatability. This paper explores the potential of 3D printing as a solution to address the challenges and provide tailored doses of medication for each pediatric patient. The technological overview of 3D printing is discussed, highlighting various 3D printing technologies and their suitability for pharmaceutical applications. Several individualization options with the potential to improve adherence are discussed, such as individualized dosage, custom release kinetics, tablet shape, and palatability. To integrate the preparation of 3D printed medication at the point of care, a decentralized manufacturing model is proposed. In this setup, pharmaceutical companies would routinely provide materials and instructions for 3D printing, while specialized compounding centers or hospital pharmacies perform the printing of medication. In addition, clinical opportunities of 3D printing for dose-finding trials are emphasized. On the other hand, current challenges in adequate dosing, regulatory compliance, adherence to quality standards, and maintenance of intellectual property need to be addressed for 3D printing to close the gap in personalized oral medication.

A floating 3D printed polypill formulation for the coadministration and sustained release of antihypertensive drugs

Polypharmacy is a common issue, especially among elderly patients resulting in administration errors and patient inconvenience. Hypertension is a prevalent health condition that frequently leads to polypharmacy, as its treatment typically requires the co-administration of more than one different Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API's). To address these issues, floating hollow torus-shaped dosage forms were developed, aiming at providing prolonged gastric retention and sustained drug release. The dosage forms (polypills) containing three anti-hypertensive API's (diltiazem (DIL), propranolol (PRP) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)) were created via Fused Deposition Modelling 3D printing. A multitude of the dosage forms were loaded into a capsule and the resulting formulation achieved prolonged retention times over a 12-hour period in vitro, by leveraging both the buoyancy of the dosage forms, and the "cheerios effect" that facilitates the aggregation and retention of the dosage forms via a combination of surface tension and shape of the objects. Physicochemical characterization methods and imaging techniques were employed to investigate the properties and the internal and external structure of the dosage forms. Furthermore, an ex vivo porcine stomach model revealed substantial aggregation, adhesion and retention of the 3D printed dosage forms in porcine stomach. In vitro dissolution testing demonstrated almost complete first-order release of PRP and DIL (93.52 % and 99.9 %, respectively) and partial release of HCTZ (65.22 %) in the 12 h timeframe. Finally, a convolution-based single-stage approach was employed in order to predict the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of the API's of the formulation and the resemblance of their PK behavior with previously reported data.

3D printing processes in precise drug delivery for personalized medicine

With the advent of personalized medicine, the drug delivery system will be changed significantly. The development of personalized medicine needs the support of many technologies, among which three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology is a novel formulation-preparing process that creates 3D objects by depositing printing materials layer-by-layer based on the computer-aided design method. Compared with traditional pharmaceutical processes, 3DP produces complex drug combinations, personalized dosage, and flexible shape and structure of dosage forms (DFs) on demand. In the future, personalized 3DP drugs may supplement and even replace their traditional counterpart. We systematically introduce the applications of 3DP technologies in the pharmaceutical industry and summarize the virtues and shortcomings of each technique. The release behaviors and control mechanisms of the pharmaceutical DFs with desired structures are also analyzed. Finally, the benefits, challenges, and prospects of 3DP technology to the pharmaceutical industry are discussed.

Application of 3D printing in early phase development of pharmaceutical solid dosage forms

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is an emerging technology, offering the possibility for the development of dose-customized, effective, and safe solid oral dosage forms (SODFs). Although 3DP has great potential, it does come with certain limitations, and the traditional drug manufacturing platforms remain the industry standard. The consensus appears to be that 3DP technology is expected to benefit personalized medicine the most, but that it is unlikely to replace conventional manufacturing for mass production. The 3DP method, on the other hand, could prove well-suited for producing small batches as an adaptive manufacturing technique for enabling adaptive clinical trial design for early clinical studies. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent advancements in 3DP technologies for SODFs and to focus on the applications for SODFs in the early clinical development stages, including a discussion of current regulatory challenges and quality controls.

Polyvinyl Alcohol, a Versatile Excipient for Pharmaceutical 3D Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing in the pharmaceutical field allows rapid manufacturing of a diverse range of pharmaceutical dosage forms, including personalized items. The application of this technology in dosage form manufacturing requires the judicious selection of excipients because the selected materials must be appropriate to the working principle of each technique. Most techniques rely on the use of polymers as the main material. Among the pharmaceutically approved polymers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is one of the most used, especially for fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. This review summarizes the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceutical-grade PVA and its applications in the manufacturing of dosage forms, with a particular focus on those fabricated through FDM. The work provides evidence on the diversity of dosage forms created using this polymer, highlighting how formulation and processing difficulties may be overcome to get the dosage forms with a suitable design and release profile.

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

Three-dimensional printing has revolutionized drug manufacturing and has provided a solution to the limitations associated with the conventional manufacturing method by designing complex drug delivery systems with customized drug release profiles for personalized therapies. The present investigation aims to design a gastric floating tablet with prolonged gastric floating time and sustained drug release profile. In the present study, a gastro retentive floating device (GRFD) was designed and fabricated using a fused deposition modelling (FDM)-based 3D printing technique. This device acts as a multifunctional dosage form exhibiting prolonged gastric retention time and sustained drug release profile with improved oral bioavailability in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Commercial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polylactic acid (PLA) filaments were used to design GRFD, which was comprised of dual compartments. The outer sealed compartment acts as an air-filled chamber that imparts buoyancy to the device and the inner compartment is filled with a commercial propranolol hydrochloride immediate-release tablet. The device is designed as a round-shaped shell with a central opening of varying size (1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm), which acts as a drug release window. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were used to determine morphological characterization. The in vitro buoyancy and drug release were evaluated using the USP type II dissolution apparatus. All the designed GRFDs exhibit good floating ability and sustained drug release profiles. GRFDs fabricated using PLA filament show maximum buoyancy (>24 h) and sustained drug release for up to 10 h. The floating ability and drug release from the developed devices were governed by the drug release window opening size and the filament material affinity towards the gastric fluid. The designed GRFDs show great prospects in modifying the drug release characteristics and could be applied to any conventional immediate-release product.

Drug delivery breakthrough technologies - A perspective on clinical and societal impact

The way a drug molecule is administered has always had a profound impact on people requiring medical interventions - from vaccine development to cancer therapeutics. In the Controlled Release Society Fall Symposium 2022, a trans-institutional group of scientists from industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations discussed what a breakthrough in the field of drug delivery constitutes. On the basis of these discussions, we classified drug delivery breakthrough technologies into three categories. In category 1, drug delivery systems enable treatment for new molecular entities per se, for instance by overcoming biological barriers. In category 2, drug delivery systems optimize efficacy and/or safety of an existing drug, for instance by directing distribution to their target tissue, by replacing toxic excipients, or by changing the dosing reqimen. In category 3, drug delivery systems improve global access by fostering use in low-resource settings, for instance by facilitating drug administration outside of a controlled health care institutional setting. We recognize that certain breakthroughs can be classified in more than one category. It was concluded that in order to create a true breakthrough technology, multidisciplinary collaboration is mandated to move from pure technical inventions to true innovations addressing key current and emerging unmet health care needs.

Engineering of 3D printed personalized polypills for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of abnormalities, including at least three of the following insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammation, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 3D printed solid dosage forms have emerged as a promising tool enabling the fabrication of personalized medicines and offering solutions that cannot be achieved by industrial mass production. Most attempts found in the literature to manufacture polypills for this syndrome contain just two drugs. However, most fixed-dose combination (FDC) products in clinical practice required the use of three or more drugs. In this work, Fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing technology coupled with Hot-melt extrusion (HME) has been successfully applied in the manufacture of polypills containing nifedipine (NFD), as an antihypertensive drug, simvastatin (SMV), as an antihyperlipidemic drug, and gliclazide (GLZ) as an antiglycemic drug. Hanssen solubility parameters (HSPs) were utilized as predictors to guide the formation of amorphous solid dispersion between drug and polymer to ensure miscibility and enhanced oral bioavailability. The HSP varied from 18.3 for NFD, 24.6 for SMV, and 7.0 for GLZ while the total solubility parameter for the excipient mixture was 27.3^0.5. This allowed the formation of an amorphous solid dispersion in SMV and GLZ 3D printed tablets compared to NFD which was partially crystalline. Popypill showed a dual release profile combining a faster SMV release (< 6 h) with a 24 h sustained release for NDF and GLZ. This work demonstrated the transformation of FDC into dynamic dose-personalized polypills.

Investigation of the degradation and in-situ amorphization of the enantiomeric drug escitalopram oxalate during Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) and subsequent FDM 3D printing offer great potential opportunities in the formulation development and production of customized oral dosage forms with poorly soluble drugs. However, thermal stress within these processes can be challenging for thermo-sensitive drugs. In this work, three different formulations were prepared to investigate the degradation and the solid state of the thermo-sensitive and poorly soluble drug escitalopram oxalate (ESC-OX) during the two heat-intensive processes HME and FDM 3D printing. For this purpose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and basic butylated methacrylate copolymer (bPMMA) were chosen as polymers. DSC and XRD measurements revealed that ESC-OX is amorphous in the HPMC based formulations in both, extrudates and 3D printed tablets. In contrast, in-situ amorphization of the drug from crystalline state in bPMMA filaments was observed during FDM 3D printing. With regard to the content, it was found that degradation of ESC-OX in extrudates with bPMMA could be avoided and in 3D printed tablets almost fully reduced. Furthermore, a possible conversion into the R-enantiomer in the formulation with bPMMA could be excluded using a chiral column. Compared to the commercial product Cipralex®, drug release from extrudates and tablets with bPMMA was slower but still qualified as immediate drug release.

A Review of the Benefits 3D Printing Brings to Patients with Neurological Diseases

This interdisciplinary review focuses on how flexible three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology can aid patients with neurological diseases. It covers a wide variety of current and possible applications ranging from neurosurgery to customizable polypill along with a brief description of the various 3DP techniques. The article goes into detail about how 3DP technology can aid delicate neurosurgical planning and its consequent outcome for patients. It also covers areas such as how the 3DP model can be utilized in patient counseling along with designing specific implants involved in cranioplasty and customization of a specialized instrument such as 3DP optogenetic probes. Furthermore, the review includes how a 3DP nasal cast can contribute to the development of nose-to-brain drug delivery along with looking into how bioprinting could be used for regenerating nerves and how 3D-printed drugs could offer practical benefits to patients suffering from neurological diseases via polypill.

Hydrophilic High Drug-Loaded 3D Printed Gastroretentive System with Robust Release Kinetics

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology enables an important improvement in the design of new drug delivery systems, such as gastroretentive floating tablets. These systems show a better temporal and spatial control of the drug release and can be customized based on individual therapeutic needs. The aim of this work was to prepare 3DP gastroretentive floating tablets designed to provide a controlled release of the API. Metformin was used as a non-molten model drug and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose with null or negligible toxicity was the main carrier. High drug loads were assayed. Another objective was to maintain the release kinetics as robust as possible when varying drug doses from one patient to another. Floating tablets using 10–50% w/w drug-loaded filaments were obtained by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3DP. The sealing layers of our design allowed successful buoyancy of the systems and sustained drug release for more than 8 h. Moreover, the effect of different variables on the drug release behaviour was studied. It should be highlighted that the robustness of the release kinetics was affected by varying the internal mesh size, and therefore the drug load. This could represent a step forward in the personalization of the treatments, a key advantage of 3DP technology in the pharmaceutical field.

Orodispersible Films-Current State of the Art, Limitations, Advances and Future Perspectives

Orodispersible Films (ODFs) are drug delivery systems manufactured with a wide range of methods on a big scale or for customized medicines and small-scale pharmacy. Both ODFs and their fabrication methods have certain limitations. Many pharmaceutical companies and academic research centers across the world cooperate in order to cope with these issues and also to find new formulations for a wide array of APIs what could make their work profitable for them and beneficial for patients as well. The number of pending patent applications and granted patents with their innovative approaches makes the progress in the manufacturing of ODFs unquestionable. The number of commercially available ODFs is still growing. However, some of them were discontinued and are no longer available on the markets. This review aims to summarize currently marketed ODFs and those withdrawn from sale and also provides an insight into recently published studies concerning orodispersible films, emphasizing of utilized APIs. The work also highlights the attempts of scientific communities to overcome ODF's manufacturing methods limitations.

3D Printing Technologies in Personalized Medicine, Nanomedicines, and Biopharmaceuticals

3D printing technologies enable medicine customization adapted to patients' needs. There are several 3D printing techniques available, but majority of dosage forms and medical devices are printed using nozzle-based extrusion, laser-writing systems, and powder binder jetting. 3D printing has been demonstrated for a broad range of applications in development and targeting solid, semi-solid, and locally applied or implanted medicines. 3D-printed solid dosage forms allow the combination of one or more drugs within the same solid dosage form to improve patient compliance, facilitate deglutition, tailor the release profile, or fabricate new medicines for which no dosage form is available. Sustained-release 3D-printed implants, stents, and medical devices have been used mainly for joint replacement therapies, medical prostheses, and cardiovascular applications. Locally applied medicines, such as wound dressing, microneedles, and medicated contact lenses, have also been manufactured using 3D printing techniques. The challenge is to select the 3D printing technique most suitable for each application and the type of pharmaceutical ink that should be developed that possesses the required physicochemical and biological performance. The integration of biopharmaceuticals and nanotechnology-based drugs along with 3D printing ("nanoprinting") brings printed personalized nanomedicines within the most innovative perspectives for the coming years. Continuous manufacturing through the use of 3D-printed microfluidic chips facilitates their translation into clinical practice.

Polymeric Excipients in the Technology of Floating Drug Delivery Systems

The combination of targeted transport and improvement of the release profile of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is a current trend in the development of oral medicinal products (MP). A well-known way to implement this concept is to obtain floating gastroretentive delivery systems that provide a long stay of the dosage form (DF) on the surface of the stomach contents. The nomenclature of excipients (Es) of a polymeric nature used in the technology of obtaining floating drug delivery systems (FDDS) is discussed. Based on the data presented in research papers, the most widely used groups of polymers, their properties, and their purpose in various technological approaches to achieving buoyancy have been determined. In addition, ways to modify the release of APIs in these systems and the Es used for this are described. The current trends in the use of polymers in the technology of floating dosage forms (FDF) and generalized conclusions about the prospects of this direction are outlined.

Customised 3D printed multi-drug systems: An effective and efficient approach to polypharmacy

INTRODUCTION

Combination therapies continue to improve therapeutic outcomes as currently achieved by polypharmacy. Since the introduction of the polypill, there has been a significant improvement in adherence and patient outcomes. However, the mass production of polypills presents a number of technical, formulation, and clinical challenges. The current one-size-fits-all approach ignores the unique clinical demands of patients, necessitating the adoption of a more versatile tool. That will be the novel, but not so novel, 3D printing.

AREAS COVERED

: The present review investigates this promising paradigm shift from one medication for all, to customised medicines, providing an overview of the current state of 3D-printed multi-active pharmaceutical forms, techniques applied and printing materials. Details on cost implications, as well as potential limitations and challenges are also elaborated.

EXPERT OPINION

: 3D printing of multi-active systems, is not only beneficial but also essential. With growing interest in this field, a shift in manufacturing, prescribing, and administration patterns is at this point, unavoidable. Addressing limitations and challenges, as well as data presentation on clinical trial results, will aid in the acceleration of this technology's implementation. However, it is clear that 3D printing is not the end of it, as evidenced by the emerging 4D printing technology.