3D Printing for Novel Dosage Form Design

Development of 3D-printed dosage forms has expanded rapidly over the last few decades, and the potential for their use in clinical practice continues to grow. Through 3D printing (3DP), dosage forms with unique properties can be made that would be difficult to produce using conventional manufacturing. In addition to dosage forms for oral administration, 3DP is also an established method of creating implants, microneedles, and other formulations for drug delivery. The flexibility that 3DP provides allows for patient-specific features such as customising a combination of drugs with different strengths but also adjusting factors that depend on the drug itself such as controlled release for antiepileptics, or immediate release for analgesics. This chapter covers some of the recent advancements in solid oral dosage forms using 3DP, such as gastro-retentive floating tablets, polypills, complex geometric designs, and functional aesthetics. We also highlight the key features of these formulations and their implications in the clinic.