Are 3D printed drugs the future of personalized medicine?

Personalized medicine tailors treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient. One of the technologies that enables tailor-made treatments is additive manufacturing. In the medical sector, 3D printing technologies have already been used to create custom-made prosthetics, implants and other medical devices. The technology is even being used to develop 3D bioprinted organs. Another way in which we can adapt treatment to patients is to develop personalized drugs. 3D printed drugs have been developed to adapt to each patient’s needs, and could change treatments in a radical way in the long term. Today, we explore the various 3D printing technologies used to create 3D printed medicine. What are the current techniques? What benefits do they bring? And, of course, how will they impact the pharmaceutical industry?

Nowadays, millions of people rely on medical prescription drugs on a regular basis for various conditions and illnesses. One issue is that due to the mass production of uniform pills, we often consume doses above the recommended ones. According to the CEO of Multiply Labs – manufacturer of pharmaceutical filament for the creation of 3D printed pills – Fred Paretti: “Currently, medications are developed especially for white adult men, which means that all women and children have an excessive prescription for their bodies. This fact underlines the importance of the advent of personalized medicines, as well as highlighting the individuality of each patient. Since the error in the dosage of certain active ingredients can even lead to the malfunctioning of some treatments.”

Since 2018 the market for 3D printed medicines has experience growth rate of 7% | Credits: Industry Stats Report

Looking at the 3D printed drug developments in the last few years, we see an encouraging future. In the last two years, the market has experienced a big increase, since 2018 it has had a 7% annual growth rate, and is expected to reach a value of $437 million in 2025 (according to the Industry Stats Report study). The country that accounts for the most growth is the US, with a share of 39.75% of total revenue. This is due to the fact that the country’s large pharmaceutical companies are betting more on research and development in 3D printing techniques.