Systematic screening of photopolymer resins for Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing of solid oral dosage forms: investigation of formulation factors on printability outcomes

Abstract

Pharmaceutical three-dimensional printing (3DP) is now in its golden age. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the research in 3D printed pharmaceuticals due to their potential to deliver highly personalised medicines, thus revolutionising the way medicines are designed, manufactured, and dispensed. A particularly attractive 3DP technology used to manufacture medicines is stereolithography (SLA), which features key advantages in terms of printing resolution and compatibility with thermolabile drugs. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm for pharmaceutical SLA has not been followed by the introduction of novel excipients specifically designed for the fabrication of medicines; hence, the choice of biocompatible polymers and photoinitiators available is limited. This work provides an insight on how to maximise the usefulness of the limited materials available by evaluating how different formulation factors affect printability outcomes of SLA 3D printed medicines. 156 photopolymer formulations were systematically screened to evaluate the influence of factors including photoinitiator amount, photopolymer molecular size, and type and amount of liquid filler on the printability outcomes. Collectively, these factors were found highly influential in modulating the print quality of the final dosage forms. Findings provide enhanced understanding of formulation parameters informing the future of SLA 3D printed medicines and the personalised medicines revolution.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123862
Divisions: College of Health & Life Sciences > Aston Pharmacy School
College of Health & Life Sciences
Aston University (General)
Additional Information: © 2024 The Authors. CC BY 4.0
Uncontrolled Keywords: 3D printing,Formulation development,Personalised medicine,Solid oral dosage forms,Stereolithography,Pharmaceutical Science
Publication ISSN: 1873-3476
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2024 17:43
Date Deposited: 02 Feb 2024 08:18
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Related URLs: https://www.sci ... 0966?via%3Dihub (Publisher URL)
http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2024-03-25
Published Online Date: 2024-02-01
Accepted Date: 2024-01-25
Authors: Curti, Carlo
Kirby, Daniel j. (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-0878-2620)
Russell, Craig a. (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-3791-2161)

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