You meet your GP in his office. On this occasion, they have detected a not very serious disease, and which, according to the professional, should disappear completely after a couple of medications with specific doses. Next, your doctor approaches a 3D printer next to his desk, and after entering some data, proceed to print the medicine you need, in the specific doses you require. Sounds like science fiction, right? Well, it isn’t anymore.
The company CurifyLabs has set to work to make this scenario a reality. Thus, they seek to facilitate and democratize the preparation of personalized medicines, which improve the health of patients more effectively and with less cost of products.
Among those who benefit from this technology are not only human beings. As commented from the middle TheNextWebwho had the opportunity to speak with the founder of the startup, this process seeks to automate pharmacology, “bringing 3D printers of medicines to hospitals and veterinary clinics“.
3D printing of drugs could change the landscape of modern medicine
As we already know, modern medicine has managed to stay affordable (at least in some countries) thanks to the mass production of drugs. Nevertheless, the cost of material and energy that this generates globally is quite dramaticas well as the abuse of consumption of the same.
Powered by technology from CurifyLabs, founded by Niklas Sandler Topelius, former professor of pharmaceutical technology at Åbo Akademi University, medicines could be printed in different shapes and flavors that make it easier for children and pets to consume. But in addition to this more superficial change, they could also release the substances they contain at different speeds, adapting to each person’s body.
Best of all, this does not alter or deteriorate the quality of the medicines. In fact, continue to maintain their pharmaceutical grade standard, both at the level of composition and useful life. Of course, using a considerably smaller amount of material.
A concept that started in ink printers
That’s how it is. Although today Niklas Sandler Topelius already sees the future of medicine in a small pill from 3D printing, the truth is that the idea was born first in ink printers. After buying one of these devices in a supermarket, Sandler Topelius proceeded to replace the ink in the cartridges with pharmaceutical ingredients. The results were medicines in 2D, and from there it went to the third dimension.
Fortunately for patients of the future, the start-up company has more than 100 peer-reviewed articles under its belt. Among these, 60 belong to the realm of medicines generated by 3D printing.
Currently, and since its creation in 2021, CurifyLabs has reached a financing of 3.5 million euros. While this amount is no more than a grain of sand on the billion-dollar beach that is the pharmaceutical industry, it is an encouraging number for a technology that could bring many benefits.
In fact, the creation of tailor-made medicines is something that would be extremely useful in psychiatric medicine. Patients in this area often go through months of trial and error with different medications, breaking pills in half. On many occasions they have to do it in several parts until they get an amount that really suits their needs. For this reason, having the ability to generate customized cures is a great advance in the relationship between patients and medical centers.