The pharmaceutical industry is witnessing a shift towards personalized treatment and innovative medication delivery techniques with the use of 3D printing technology. Creating 3-dimensional objects of any shape from a computerized digital model is known as 3D printing. The technology is a layer by layer process capable of producing a printed drug products from digital designs. Hot melt extrusion is the primary basis of 3D printing technology where drug-polymer and other additive’s filaments allows to develop flexible dosages over traditional dosage form manufacturing. These products will be with different shapes, multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients and modulated drug release kinetics. 3D printing technology open up the multidimensional thinking and opportunity to each person in the pharmaceutical area. 3D printed personalized products can reduce side effects and simplify treatments for pediatric and geriatric populations. The application of 3D printers in compounding pharmacies will turn them into digital pharmacies which can be integrated into hospitals and modify the pharmacotherapeutic treatment of patients significantly.
The components of 3D printing are medicament, polymer, excipient, printer and software for design and operation. This gives equal opportunity to pharmacist and engineer to explore the basic principles in the advancement of this technology.
There are number of challenges in 3D printing as process and deliverables, like 1. knowledge pool for selection of active drug, its therapeutic dose and dosage form, 2. Raw materials available for specifically designed for the purpose. 3. Limited knowledge and progress in hardware and software. 4. Regulatory challenges
Positive side is there is a product approved in USA and this could encourage world scientists Dental implants, anatomical models for educations and surgery, antimicrobial wound dressings and grafts, and 3D printed organs employing stem cells are additional uses for 3D printing. With so many benefits over existing pharmaceutical manufacturing procedures, 3D printing is likely to become more and more common in the creation of medicines.
Many drug producer stating that there is major roadblock of 3D printing is of its scalability of the product and this is more engineering perspective. The challenge in front of pharmaceutical engineer is to improve the speed of 3D printing. There could also be various aspect to be more user friendly like current size of instrument and handling of design and operative softwares.
The extensive research is going on 3D printing at development as well as engineering side of 3D printing and soon we will be witnessing some breakthrough products and high speed 3D printers. In the talk we will have technical exchange about challenges, scope and opportunities in 3D printing in drug product manufacturing.
Hemgir Gosavi, is a Doctorate in pharmaceutical technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai University, India. He is engaged in formulation development profession since last 24 years. He worked with reputed Indian pharma and biopharma companies. He established as a technical consultant in advanced drug delivery systems. His expertise areas are, the development of generic drug product, product scale up, risk assessment and Quality by Design. He had represented Merck in various conference and seminar to present the technology-based talks like hot melt extrusion, 3D printing, continuous manufacturing. Currently he is head of Merck’s Global Formulation Application Lab, Mumbai, which provide platform to global customer to work with Merck’s excipients and technologies. He is also member of board of studies-pharmacy in Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University. Dr Hemgir is member of board of IPEC India, representing Merck Life science Pvt. Limited India.
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