3D Printing Makes an Easier Pill to Swallow

In today’s health conscious climate, Mary Poppins’ old advice about using a spoon full of sugar to make the medicine go down isn’t likely to be a hit. Fortunately for patients, additive manufacturing (AM) is here to help.

Apprecia Pharmaceuticals was recently granted FDA approval for its new product, Spritam. The new drug will be used for the treatment of partial onset  seizures, myoclonic seizures and primary eneralized tonic-clonic seizures in adults and children with epilepsy. Spritam is of particular interest to Rapid Ready as the pill itself was built using AM.

A number of different researchers have been experimenting with using AM to construct drugs in specific patterns to control how quickly the drug is released, or assist with customized dosages. In December of last year, Apprecia managed to secure FDA approval for its ZipDose pharmaceutical AM system. Spritam is the first drug to benefit from the ZipDose system.

In the case of Spritam, the pill was constructed by applying a bonding agent to the powdered form of the drug. The manner in which the pill was built allows for a larger than usual dosage of medicine (1000 mg) in a shape that is easily swallowed and dissolves quickly given a sip of liquid.

While the drug is good news for all sufferers, it could be particularly beneficial to patients with difficulty swallowing, or for caregivers who need to coax children into taking their meds.

“In my experience, patients and caregivers often have difficulty following a treatment regimen. Whether they are dealing with a swallowing disorder or the daily struggle of getting a child to take his or her medication, adherence can be a challenge,” said Marvin H. Rorick III, M.D., neurologist at Riverhills Neuroscience in Cincinnati, OH. “Especially for children and seniors, having an option for patients to take their medication as prescribed is important to managing this disease.”

Below you’ll find a video demonstrating how quickly Spritam dissolves.

Source: Apprecia