Effect of novel internal structures on printability and drug release behavior of 3D printed tablets

Semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing is an innovative and promising method that is suitable for the fabrication of personalized dosage forms of tablets. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of SSE 3D printed tablets with novel internal structures. Twelve types of 3D printed tablets with pre-designed structures were developed. Glipizide was selected as the model drug and three different concentrations of the HPMC K100LV polymer were used in the 3D printing process as the hydrophilic matrix. All of the printed tablets had satisfactory physical properties and structural integrity indicating the suitability of SSE 3D printing for the fabrication of personalized medicines with complex structures. The dissolution profiles of the printed tablets revealed the relationship between novel structures and drug release behavior. Tailored drug release may be easily achieved without changing the prescription by adjusting printing parameters such as outline value, grid width and printing pattern. All results of this paper clearly reveal the feasibility and capability of SSE 3D printing technology as a novel pharmaceutical manufacturing technique to fabricate personalized medicines and modulate drug dissolution profiles.