3D-Printed Drugs: What Does the Future Hold?
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 combines formulation science with the unique manufacturing capabilities of 3D printing. This allows the manufacture of medicines that rapidly disintegrate with a sip of liquid even at high dose loads—good news for millions of people who have difficulty swallowing pills. Aprecia holds an exclusive license for pharmaceutical applications using this 3D printing technology, which could ultimately reduce the overall cost of drug manufacturing by eliminating steps, improving throughput, and reducing the manufacturing footprint.