Nov 8, 2018 | By Thomas
Researchers at Yissum, the technology transfer company of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, have developed a novel technology to create drug capsules using 3D printers, enabling a complex design of drug delivery systems currently unavailable in conventional pharmaceutical manufacturing techniques. This approach enables printing customized and personalized medications out of hydrogel objects which can expand, change shape, and activate on a delayed schedule.
Prof. Shlomo Magdassi, head of the university’s 3D and Functional Printing Center, and Dr. Ofra Benny, a researcher at the university’s Institute for Drug Research, presented their cutting edge drug fabrication technology at the 2nd annual conference, 3D Printing and Beyond, November 7, 2018, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
The custom 3D printed pills are made out of a hydrogel in which the medication is inserted. The technology enables the creation of pills with any complex designs, from star-shaped to crystalline to round, that can expand, change shape and be activated on a preset schedule. Besides the ability to achieve complex structures and release profiles of drugs, this novel technology allows doctors to tailor accurately the exposure and dosage levels for individual patients. Conventional manufacturing of pharmaceutical dosage forms (e.g. tablets, capsules) are typically restricted to certain designs. By fine-tuning the geometry, surface area and swelling index of tablets through 3D printing, the team’s proof-of-concept prototype enables improved targeting of the site of drug release in the digestive tract as well as greater control of drug-release timing and duration. For example, a 3D printed capsule can be designed to swell in the stomach to give a feeling of fullness, or to release two or three drugs at a time, or with a delay.
“These 3D printed objects will be able to change shape through contact with water, or humidity – enabling them to open only under certain conditions,” said Magdassi.
"Professor Magdassi and Dr. Benny's research is an excellent example of the kind of interdisciplinary transformational inventions that originate from the Hebrew University. This technology is bringing us closer to a future in which the medical field can offer personalized, patient-centered care," said Dr. Yaron Daniely, CEO and President of Yissum.
The 3D Printing and Beyond conference will also look at other innovations in pharmaceuticals, electronics, and defense related technologies, along with 3D printed food, automotive parts and more.
The conference is organized by Prof. Shlomo Magdassi and Dr. Michael Layani of the 3D and Functional Printing Center at the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The conference is sponsored by the Jerusalem Development Authority, Yissum, the Technology Transfer Company of The Hebrew University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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