Translating 3D printed pharmaceuticals: From hype to real-world clinical applications

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a revolutionary technology that is disrupting pharmaceutical development by enabling the production of personalised printlets (3D printed drug products) on demand. By creating small batches of dose flexible medicines, this versatile technology offers significant advantages for clinical practice and drug development, namely the ability to personalise medicines to individual patient needs, as well as expedite drug development timelines within preclinical studies through to first-in-human (FIH) and Phase I/II clinical trials. Despite the widely demonstrated benefits of 3D printing pharmaceuticals, the clinical potential of the technology is yet to be realised. In this timely review, we provide an overview of the latest cutting-edge investigations in 3D printing pharmaceuticals in the pre-clinical and clinical arena and offer a forward-looking approach towards strategies to further aid the translation of 3D printing into the clinic.

Keywords: 3D printing formulations; Additive manufacturing; Artificial intelligence and industry 4.0; Biomedical engineering and medical devices; Early phase therapeutics development and computational modeling; Mass customization and personalization; Personalized drug products and translational pharmaceutics; Printed oral drug delivery systems.