3D Screen Printing: Enabling A New Generation Of Complex Formulations

In the past, 3D-printed pharmaceuticals were largely relegated to niche markets and prototyping due to limited scalability and a reliance on manufacturing processes that could potentially damage active pharmaceutical ingredients. However, a new technology—3D screen printing—is shattering preconceptions and opening new frontiers in drug formulation and manufacture.

Swiss drug delivery system provider Laxxon Medical offers a 3D pharmaceutical printing technology that stands apart from other systems by utilizing a form of additive manufacturing based on screen printing. Materials are combined to manufacture a semi-solid paste that is applied in layers as thin as 10 micrometers (μm) to produce tablets. The technology utilizes well-understood APIs as well as standard and widely available pharmaceutical-grade excipients.