How is Additive Manufacturing Used in the Pharmaceutical Industry?
One main advantage of using this technique for pharmaceutical manufacturing is that pharmaceuticals can be easily tailored for each patient. This is achieved through changing the release profile of the pharmaceutical, which essentially means adjusting when and for how long the active agent is released into the body.
This can be adjusted by changing the relative quantities of the active and inactive form of the constituents or by compartmentalizing or layering the tablet to change how drugs are released in the patient’s body.
The ‘polypill’
With additive manufacturing still being a fairly recent technology, it is being developed and expanded every year. As this technology advances, there is the possibility to produce a ‘polypill’ where several pharmaceuticals can be combined into one pill by printing in different compartments.
This will make it easier for patients, especially the elderly, who need to take several pills every day. Self-administered treatment could, therefore, be simpler and more reliable, as one pill could not be forgotten occasionally.
