ZipDose – 3D printed tablets
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Features
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Result
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Highly porous, rapid
disintegration
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Orodispersable tablets that can melt on the tongue in seconds
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High dose loading (up to 1000 mg of drug)
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Avoids dosing with multiple tablets/pills
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The clinical advantages of using a 3D printed tablet
is improved adherence and compliance. As commented by the CEO of Aprecia, Don
Wetherhold, “By combining [3DP] technology with a highly-prescribed epilepsy
treatment, Spritam is designed to fill a need for patients who struggle with
their current medication experience.”1
This
technology can help improve medication adherence and its associated
complications. Just under 140 000 Canadians live with epilepsy and 30 000
within this group are children2. Many patients, particularly
children and older adults, have trouble swallowing pill due to size, and being
adherent to taking a number of doses throughout the day. In one study, about
71% of patients reported that they have forgotten, missed, or skipped a dose of
their epilepsy treatment, and of the same study, half of the surveyed patients
experienced a seizure event after one missed dose1.
Alongside
improving adherence, 3D printed medication allows for customization of drug
doses, which will greatly help with dosing of medications for pediatric
patients. “This technology could revolutionise the way we look at children’s
medicines, both in terms of what they take and the ability to keep changing the
dose as they grow,” says Steve Tomlin, consultant pharmacist at Evelina London
Children’s Hospital, UK1. Whereas adult patient dosing is not
largely based on weight, the reverse is true for pediatric patients, and liquid
medications are used to ensure correct weight based dosing for each child.
However, studies have shown that even younger children prefer to take tablets,
so the ability to customize the dose of each 3D printed pill will be greatly
welcomed.
ZipDose
technology is just the beginning of what 3D printed medication can do to
optimize drug delivery. Many patients require variable dosages of their
medications, so allowing the consumer or pharmacist to adjust dosages easily
could reduce visits to the physician. 3D printed’s ability to form drugs in
novel shapes will also allow for greater control over the kinetics of drug
release; this leads to better control over whether a medication is fast acting
or released gradually over the time3.
The
approval of Spritam by the FDA demonstrates the willingness of industry and
regulators to seriously consider the viability of 3D printed drugs. Spritam has
hit the market in the spring of 2016, and Aprecia is planning on introducing
multiple new products using the ZipDose technology in upcoming years. Clearly,
the potential for 3D printed in pharmaceuticals will soon be determined.
Further
Reading:
References:
- Aprecia Pharmaceuticals. (2015). FDA approves the first 3D printed drug product [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.aprecia.com/pdf/2015_08_03_ Spritam_FDA_Approval_Press_Release.pdf
- Prasad AN, Burneo JG, Corbett B. Epilepsy, comorbid conditions in Canadian children: analysis of cross-sectional data from cycle 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth. Seizure. 2014;23(10):869-73.
- Sanderson K. 3D printing: the future of manufacturing medicine. Pharm J. 2015;294(7865):598-600.