3D Printing Tablets for Controlled Drug Release Advances
Scientists have outlined a method to produce tablets through 3D printing that regulate how a medication is released inside the body. This development was highlighted by the press team of the Max Planck Community Informatics Institute. The breakthrough centers on shaping the tablet so it dissolves at different rates, providing a tailored exposure to the active ingredient over time.
In pharmacology, the key goal is maintaining the right level of the active substance in blood and tissues. If the concentration strays too high or too low, treatment effectiveness can suffer. The approach described involves constructing complex tablet geometries that can release the drug at varying speeds, yet the manufacturing process becomes a major hurdle due to the intricate shapes and precise dissolution profiles required.
Researchers led by Wahid Babai and his team have developed a substrate design for such medications using a three dimensional printer. The release rate from the tablet is driven by the chosen structure rather than by additional chemical tweaks alone. For example, a patient might take a higher initial dose to reach a therapeutic level quickly, followed by a slower release that sustains the concentration. The tablet shapes were selected through mathematical modeling because manually matching a specific dissolution curve is extremely challenging. Incorporating additive manufacturing into production holds the promise of reducing costs while enabling more personalized therapy.
The authors anticipate that this method could push pharmacology forward by enabling more precise control over drug delivery, potentially improving outcomes for a range of conditions and patient populations in North America and beyond.