European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

FUTURE OF PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING: A NEW ERA OF 3D PRINTING

Bhusnure O.G.*, Dongre R.C., Munde B.S., Tidke P.M.

ABSTRACT

The world is in the midst of a paradigm shift in the 21st century - one that integrates diverse sets of ideas, products and services globally through the lens of highly complex, integrated and self-morphing resource. Highly talented skilled people are necessary to effectively and consistently apply cutting edge science and technology, systems thinking, smart services and processes, and supply chain excellence. Manufacturing in 2050 will look very different from today, and will be virtually unrecognisable from that of 30 years ago. Successful firms will be capable of rapidly adapting their physical and intellectual infrastructures to exploit changes in technology as manufacturing becomes faster, more responsive to changing global markets and closer to customers. Successful firms will also harness a wider skills base, with highly qualified leaders and managers whose expertise combines both commercial and technical acumen, typically in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Many researchers have attempted to use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to realize a scaffold that provides a three-dimensional (3D) environment for regeneration of tissues and organs. As a result, several 3D printing technologies, including stereolithography, deposition modeling, inkjet-based printing and selective laser sintering have been developed. Because these 3D printing technologies use computers for design and fabrication, and they can fabricate 3D scaffolds as designed; as a consequence, they can be standardized. Growth of target tissues and organs requires the presence of appropriate growth factors, so fabrication of 3Dscaffold systems that release these biomolecules has been explored. 3D Printing promises to produce complex biomedical devices according to computer design using patient-specific anatomical data. Since its initial use as pre-surgical visualization models and tooling molds, 3D Printing has slowly evolved to create one-of-a-kind devices, implants, scaffolds for tissue engineering, diagnostic platforms, and drug delivery systems. Fueled by the recent explosion in public interest and access to affordable printers, there is renewed interest to combine stem cells with custom 3D scaffolds for personalized regenerative medicine. Before 3D Printing can be used routinely for the regeneration of complex tissues (e.g. bone, cartilage, muscles, vessels, nerves in the craniomaxillofacial complex), and complex organs with intricate 3D microarchitecture (e.g. liver, lymphoid organs), several technological limitations must be addressed. Until recently, tablet designs had been restricted to the relatively small number of shapes that are easily achievable using traditional manufacturing methods. 3D printing is now enabling much more innovation in this area, with many researchers investigating the kinetic properties of shapes that were once very difficult to manufacture. 3D printed pyramid-shaped tablets, for instance, may gain popularity as a format for fast-acting remedies because they have been found to release drugs more rapidly than standard cylinder-shaped pills. As 3D printing capabilities develop further, safety and regulatory concerns are addressed and the cost of the technology falls, contract manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that experiment with these 3D printing innovations are likely to gain a competitive edge.

Keywords: 3D Printing, Drug Delivery System, Manufacturing Technology, Innovation.