Dr Rakesh Bhasin, Vice President and Head – R&D (Formulations), started his presentation by introducing 3D printing to the audience. He said that powder liquid 3D printing offers unique advantages and opportunities for the pharma industry, as recognised by FDA and other industry leaders. In addition, he informed that 3D printing for pharma offers formulation advantages over traditional methods, opening drugs for oral drug delivery in ways otherwise unachievable. It offers flexibility and efficiency in early-stage development work from animal clinical studies.
He then explained the benefits of 3D printing. These include rapidly dispersing tablets dose load up to 1,000 mg, addressing patients’ swallowing difficulties. “Drug particles and particle coatings are better protected as compression force is not involved in 3D P. Control over print image and fluid deposition enables target drug delivery with optimal dispersion time. Ability to print drug loaded solution and rapid dispersion of high drug loads means multiple actives in the same formulation, and multiple taste masking strategies are amenable,” he mentioned.
He later talked about liqui-pellets, including liquisolid formulation, liquimass system used to prepare liqui-pellets and preparation of naproxen liqui-pellets. He next talked about the benefits of SEDDS, which include improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacoadynamics (liquid SEDDS); improved pharmacodynamic, improved pharmacokinetic, improved stability and improved feasibility (solid SEDDS).
He concluded by saying that selection of right technology based on the understanding of the physiochemical properties of the drug is necessary, and also mentioned some of the new technologies used to increase oral bioavailability. These are enteric coating in case of low bioavailability driven by pre-systemic degradation, prodrug strategies in case of poor permeability or extensive pre-systemic metabolism, size reduction, solid dispersions, self-emulsifying drug delivery systems, etc.
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good content!