Pharmaceutical customization technology developercurifylabshas partnered with food printing firmNatural Machineswith the aim of bringing a new low-cost drug 3D printer to market.
Working together, the companies say they’ve developed a “pharma-compliant’ system that offers a more efficient, automated alternative to the compounding process used to create personalized medicines. Expected to launch later in 2022, the 3D printer is set to be central to a new service, which offers to help pharmacies and hospitals customize drugs at a more rapid pace than ever before.
“With this partnership, we are developing a unique Medicine-as-a-Service concept for pharmacy compounding, and we believe that our partnership with Natural Machines will bring an affordable and superior 3D printing platform to market,” says Charlotta Topelius, CEO of CurifyLabs. “Together we can revolutionize the industry within personalized medicine offering localized, on-demand drug manufacturing.”
Automating drug formulation
天然机器和CurifyLabs即将推出的3D打印机是围绕后者的技术建造的。最初开发的是Niklas Sandler Topelius长达十年的研究项目的一部分ÅboAkademi大学芬兰，该公司的量身定制过程旨在快速生产用于人类和兽医应用的定制药物。
Although the mechanics of CurifyLabs’ approach haven’t been made public, it’s understood to automate compounding, a procedure in which drugs are combined, mixed or altered to create personalized medicines. In doing so, the firm says that its technology eliminates the human errors that can creep into manual processes, and ensures the “compliant manufacturing” of “pharma-grade” drugs.
The company also highlights how this streamlined workflow reduces the need for pharmacy personnel and frontline care providers to handle active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which can cause them toxic effects if overexposed, while its customization options allow it to address patients’ dosing, form and flavor needs.
Since CurifyLabs was founded in 2020, the firm has integrated its technology into aMiniLabplatform, which effectively reduces manual elements of the compounding process by as much as 72%. According to the company, its system is suited to pharmacy, hospital and veterinary deployment, and is already being used to serve patients “in many countries” by clients like the Finnish Oulu Central Pharmacy.
“In veterinary medicine, it is common to split tablets in small pieces,” explains Samuli Ojala, a Pharmacist at Oulu Central Pharmacy. “Try splitting a tablet in five or seven pieces! Taste masking options allow better treatment efficacy, and can be used when technology enables this. In Finland we have a long tradition and a lot of knowledge when it comes to drug compounding, and I’m proud to be part of introducing new technology which enables personalized treatments.”
Expanding into drug 3D printing
相比,铜rifyLabs and its background within drug formulation, Natural Machines’ prior work has been targeted towards a slightly different market: customized edibles. Featuring a built-in precision control system, the firm’s flagshipFoodinidevice is designed to push foodstuffs through a nozzle with high accuracy, enabling users to ‘print’ them into desired shapes.
When stacked layer-by-layer, these structures can be built into creative 3D designs, ranging from center pieces to garnishes, that Natural Machines says can be uploaded to an app and downloaded at will to “augment and elevate” meals.
现在，通过与CurifyLabs合作，该公司打算将其投资组合建立到药物领域。在他们之间，这些公司目前正在开发一个新平台，该平台能够为患者生产个性化药物，特别针对现有药物放松的药物。
Having demonstrated this machine’s efficacy during initial trials, CurifyLabs CSO, Niklas Sandler Topelius, says that it’s continuing to “adapt the technology” ahead of launch, but is still expecting to commercialize the technology later this year.
“At Natural Machines, we have solutions for the food sector and the personal care industry, and now with this strategic partnership we add the pharmaceutical field,” adds Emilio Sepulveda, CEO of Natural Machines. “This partnership will leverage both CurifyLabs’ experience and latest developments in pharma with our extensive 3D printing expertise, providing a new solution that aligns with the growing global trend of product personalization.”
AM的毒品定制潜力
In the pharmaceutical sector, additive manufacturing is increasingly being used to create custom medications that can be tailored specifically to meet patients’ needs.Apreciahas become one of the early leaders in this area, having developedZipDose 3D printing, a process it uses to produce the fast-dissolvingFDA-approved Spritam tablet。
相似地，fabrx, which specializes in pharmaceutical additive manufacturing, has worked with researchers to develop a means of迅速的3D打印扑热息痛。Unveiled earlier this month, the team’s volumetric production approach is said to enable the fabrication of custom drug-loaded tablets within a matter of seconds for use within labs and some clinical settings.
At a more experimental level, researchers based in Pakistan have also previously shown how 3D printing can be used to create具有增强剂量控制的药丸。FDM打印片相等，但随着填充物和药物浓度的不同百分比，该团队能够开发具有可控释放率的抗生素，据说这有可能提高患者的生存能力。
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Featured image shows a CurifyLabs scientist engaged in the drug formulation process. Photo via CurifyLabs.
