3D printing technology has been used to develop novel and complex drug delivery systems that are nearly impossible to produce with traditional formulation techniques. This technology can be used to produce tablets or oral thin films containing multiple layers of active ingredients that can be personalized to meet the needs of patients. CD Formulation is dedicated to the development of novel drug delivery systems. We use a series of mathematical models to describe the drug release mechanism of the developed oral thin films, which helps in providing 3D printing films with improved drug release properties.
Fig.1 3D printing of multilayered orodispersible films with in-process drying. (Jan Elbl, et al., 2020)
The 3D printing technologies as an unconventional method for the manufacture of oral thin films, have gained tremendous impetus over the past few years and are emerging as platforms for manufacturing pharmaceutical products. These technologies have been adopted for the production of oral thin films and have the following advantages over the conventional methods of production:
3D printing technology mixes the prescription into a printing slurry, imports the three-dimensional model of the oral thin film through computer printing software, and sets the printing parameters for printing preparation. Flexible design and accurate printing dose provide a new preparation method for personalized drug delivery of the oral thin film.
Fig.2 Schematic of 3D printing.
Technologies & Platform | Description |
Inkjet printing technology Platform | Inkjet printing technology is the most classic printing method applied to oral thin film preparation, similar to office ink cartridge printing. The specific process is to dissolve the active ingredients and excipients together in the printing ink, and then precipitate the raw and excipient solutions on a fixed-size substrate to form a thin film. Based on this method, we developed thermal inkjet printing, using a fixed platform instead of a roller to increase the drug-loading capacity of the film to the milligram level. The oral thin film prepared by spray printing is morphologically stable, has a high drug-loading capacity and solid-state properties, and can achieve rapid disintegration after administration. |
Fused deposition Modeling Technology Platform | Fused deposition modeling technology is another commonly used 3D printing technique for preparing oral thin films. The method is to heat the active ingredient and auxiliary material at a high temperature to make it into a molten state of liquid, and then extrude it to form a filament, and then print it to form a substance with three-dimensional characteristics. Compared with other preparation techniques, the oral thin film prepared by melt deposition has better structural characteristics, higher dose uniformity, and unidirectional drug release can be achieved if a supporting layer is introduced on one side of the oral film. |
Technology: 3D printing technologies
Journal: International Journal of Pharmaceutics
IF: 6.5
Published: 2017
Results: In this study, 3D printed as well as casted films were compared in terms of physicochemical and mechanical properties. Moreover, drug-free films were prepared to evaluate the impact of the extrusion process and aripiprazole presence on the film properties. X-ray diffractometry and thermal analyses confirmed the transition of aripiprazole into an amorphous state during film preparation using 3D printing technique.
Fig.3 3D printed orodispersible films with Aripiprazole. (Witold Jamróz, et al., 2017)
CD Formulation is an industry leader in the development of novel drug delivery systems, and our integration of 3D printing into the production of oral thin films has significantly advanced the field of drug delivery. If you have a requirement about our 3D printing method for oral thin film preparation services, please contact us by phone or email, and our colleagues will reply to you within three working days.
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