31. May 2017

Three dimensional printing technology is gaining in importance because of its increasing availability and wide applications. One of the three dimensional printing techniques is Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) which works on the basis of hot melt extrusion–well known in the pharmaceutical technology

02. May 2017

The accessibility of 3D printers for both industrial and general public use has grown dramatically in the past decade. Global sales that include the devices, materials and services for industrial-scale to consumer-based printers have grown by an annual average of more than 33% over the last three years to a total of $4.1 billion in 2014. A significant driver of this growth is the fact that the early patents related to the manufacturing devices and printer processes have expired.

09. November 2016

Current developments in technology allow manufacturing of dosage forms by printing. Printing technologies have also opened prospects for development and manufacturing scenarios for tailored and personalized drug delivery systems and can optimally meet the needs of individuals and different patient groups. The challenge is to deliver the foreseen benefits of this work to patients. Recent research has demonstrated numerous examples of manufacturing of different types of dosage forms using...

05. November 2016

The concept seems like magic—a few strokes of a printer and a ­prescription medication or a ­customized medical device is available at your fingertips. Yet thanks to additive manufacturing, more commonly known as "3D printing," what seems almost unimaginable is indeed reality. The popularity and utility of additive manufacturing is rapidly increasing across ­countless industries. According to one report, the 3D printing industry grew to $5.165 billion in 2015, representing a 25.9 percent...

19. October 2016

3D printing is an innovative manufacturing process whereby an object is built up layer by layer from a 3D computer design. A variety of printing technologies can be used, which were developed for the manufacturing industry and hence typically process plastics, ceramics, and metals. 3D printing is used for the production of objects made from both single materials as well as combinations of materials, in which each materials may be deposited by a separate print head or other deposition step. Over...

19. October 2016

Three-dimensional (3D) printing—a type of additive manufacturing (AM)—has the potential to be the “next great step” in pharmaceutical manufacturing, enabling fabrication of specialty drugs and medical devices, said Emil Ciurczak, Doramaxx Consulting and CPhI expert panel member, in the 2016 CPhI Annual Industry Report. 3D printing could be used for personalized or unique dosage forms, more complex drug-release profiles, and printing living tissue, noted Ciurczak in the report. Because...

19. October 2016

In August 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company’s SPRITAM levetiracetam for oral use in treating epileptic seizures. What’s more, SPRITAM is manufactured using a 3D printing process to produce a porous formulation that rapidly disintegrates with a sip of liquid. This is the first time a drug product manufactured by 3D printing technology has been approved by the FDA. Aprecia achieved this using a proprietary technology platform that...