The final dayof the 3D Medical Expo 2017 in Maastricht, featured a full program of 9 seminars from industry experts looking at the possibilities of 3D Medicine Printing.
Adding to an already established industry
In relation to other areas of the healthcare industry, such as dentistry and medical implants, 3D printed medicine is一个相对较新的概念。
Medicine in tablet form has been in circulation since 1500 BC, but the first patent for a pill as we know it today was granted in 1850. The industry is well-established and, ultimately, the drugs work.
但是，基于the amount of data technology is now able to collect, pharmacists are better prepared to provide a service personalized to individual patients’ needs.
Two-layer tablets
Professor Jukka Rantanen is from the Department of Pharmacy at the哥本哈根大学in Denmark。他在2017年3D医学博览会上的研讨会着重于Designing compartmental pharmaceutical products based on 3D printing。
在演讲中，兰塔南教授详细介绍了带有内部几何形状的3D印刷药的机会，即一种药物形成了平板电脑的外壳，另一个药物填充了内部。开发这种类型药物的优点是，它可以更多地控制特定治疗方法以及何时将特定治疗释放到体内。
Developing the means to produce what Professor Rantanen terms “two layer” drugs is of course a substantial challenge to researchers. Additionally, Professor Rantanen points out that marketing & distribution is one of the biggest challenges to 3D printed pharmaceuticals.
这idea was then picked up by Dr Mohamed Albed Alhnan, Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics at theUniversity of Central Lancashirein the UK.
Mass-customization
Speaking about theEmergence of 3D printed dosage forms: A focus on FDM 3D printing, Dr. Alhnan compares 3D printing drugs to the traditional mode of manufacturing medication. He explains that the efficacy of traditional methods is for producing mass quantities of products.
为了与这种批量生产竞争，Alnnan博士建议，可以在最后阶段量身定制药物的大规模生产，以便为患者产生个性化治疗。然后，该概念使该技术对大众市场有吸引力。
Legal implications
Both ideas are brought together by An Vijverman, a lawyer and partner atDewallens & Partners Law Firm位于比利时。
InLegal Issues around 3D Printed Drugs,Vijverman discusses EU legislation surrounding the classification and marketability of drugs giving a feasible idea of how such concepts could make it to market.
She explains simply that though there are there categories that 3D printed drugs could fit into, it would actually require a complete reassessment of classification systems for the methods and pills produced to filter into the market.
In her opinion, 3D printed drugs will eventually be defined in a class entirely of their own rather than fitting into existing classification for medicine.
For 3D printed medicine, the industry is then in the complicated position of having to prove their concept, but also define how it should be controlled and assessed for quality.
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If you know of any projects using 3D printing for medicine you can提名3D印刷行业奖的研究。
Featured image shows ‘Cradle to Grave’ installation by Pharmacopoeia, an representation of the amount of drugs taken in a lifetime by an average adult. On display at the British Museum. Photo by Beau Jackson
