Overview of 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry is advancing at an incredible rate. Novel drug formulations for targeted therapy have been developed all thanks to advances in modern sciences. Even so, the manufacturing sector of novel dosage forms is minimal, and the industry continues to rely on traditional drug delivery systems, particularly modified tablets. The use of 3D printing technologies in pharma companies has opened up new possibilities for printed products and device research and production. 3D Printing has slowly progressed from its original use as pre-surgical imaging templates and tooling molds to produce one-of-a-kind instruments, implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, testing platforms, and drug delivery systems. The most significant advantages of 3D printing technologies include the ability to produce small batches of drugs with custom dosages, forms, weights, and drug release profiles. The production of medicines in this manner could eventually contribute to the realization of the principle of personalized medicine. The biomedical industry and academia have also embraced 3D printing in recent years. It offers commercially available medical devices as well as a forum for cutting-edge studies in fields such as tissue and organ printing. This mini-review provides an overview of 3D printed technology in medicines.