2023-12-04 23:01:35
According to Leem, the professional organization of pharmaceutical companies in France, the global pharmaceutical market in 2021 represented $1,291 billion in terms of turnover, representing growth of 6.8% compared to the year. 2020. It is a constantly evolving industry in which innovation is a key driver. And precisely, among the factors which contribute to this innovation, we find additive manufacturing. You are aware that 3D technologies have long been used in the medical sector and the pharmaceutical sector also benefits from their advantages. Indeed, they are increasingly used to design tailor-made medicines, better meeting the needs of patients. Additive manufacturing also makes it possible to combine several treatments in a single tablet, which considerably facilitates taking medications. Among the players who have made this reality their specialty, we find the young company Craft Health which comes straight from Singapore. It has developed a 3D printing solution to produce customizable medicines and more controlled pharmaceutical products. We met one of its founders to find out more!
3DN: Can you introduce yourself and explain your connection to 3D printing? How was Craft Health born?
My name is Wei Jiang Goh, I am a pharmacist by training and I worked in this profession in a hospital in Singapore. Subsequently, I completed a PhD and Masters of Business Administration scholarship at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where I discovered my passion for the convergence between technology and commercialization. During my final year of my PhD, I discussed with my current co-founder, Dr. Seng Han LIM, the possibility of working together to solve a problem that concerns us both. Our backgrounds are very similar, since we both worked as pharmacists in a hospital environment.
Dr Lim Seng Han (left) and Dr Wei Jiang Goh (right), co-founders of Craft Health
We believed that polypharmacy, that is, taking too many medications, was a major problem, especially since we saw patients going home daily with bags full of pills and tablets. when we worked as pharmacists. Polypharmacy is generally associated with poor patient outcomes, including becoming disoriented or experiencing fatigue from taking a large number of different medications. We brainstormed different solutions, and finally realized that my co-founder, Dr. Lim, might have the right one. As part of his doctoral thesis, he worked on 3D printing to personalize medicines. We thought we could use 3D printing along with our formulation skills to combine multiple medications into a single tablet. This would effectively reduce the number of pills and solve the problem of polypharmacy. We got a small grant, tested the technology, and Craft Health was launched in 2019, in Singapore.
3DN: How are Craft Health medicines made?
Craft Health™ helps various stakeholders in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries such as hospitals, clinics, compounding pharmacies, pharmaceutical and supplement companies to solve various challenges through our Craft Health™ 3D printing platform.
These challenges include new product development, using 3D printing as a rapid prototyping tool, combining multiple drugs or supplements into a single tablet, customizing the shape (geometry, color, taste) of tablets, obtaining specific custom active ingredient release profiles and just-in-time manufacturing.
The Craft Health™ 3D printing platform consists of 3 key elements:
CraftMake: the 3D printer. It is one of the world’s first 3D printers for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, using a heat- and UV-free technique. CraftControl: 3D printing software. We have entered several printing parameters suitable for 3D printing of medicines. CraftBlends: Our proprietary blend of non-active ingredients, sourced from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (USFDA) List of Generally Regarded Safe (GRAS) Ingredients, makes a 3D printable paste with a profile specific controlled release, such as immediate, delayed or extended release.
Together, these three elements are optimized to 3D print nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals in a precise and controlled manner, with relatively high throughput. At Craft Health, we therefore master formulation development, 3D printing and pilot-scale production in a clean room environment.
CraftMake allows you to design drugs without heat or UV
3DN: What are the main advantages of additive manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry?
The benefits of 3D printing for this market are numerous. First of all, we can mention the flexibility in mass customization of drugs, with regard to dose, drug selection and even release profile (immediate, sustained or delayed release of the drug). Then, 3D technologies make it possible to modify the taste profile or mask the taste of unpleasant-tasting medications. They can also design complex shapes and geometries for controlled release or specific targeting profiles. In addition, I would say that 3D printing combats the problems of polypharmacy by combining several medications in a single tablet. Finally, thanks to additive manufacturing, it is possible to manufacture small series for testing purposes, in quantities that are not necessarily profitable for factories or manufacturing processes.
3DN: What are Craft Health’s future projects?
We are focused on two key verticals for Craft Health. First, we developed a drug delivery system (DDS) targeting the colon using our Craft Health 3D printing platform. Through the combination of geometric design and materials, we are able to target the large intestine, an often overlooked area. We will work with different groups to develop a range of therapeutic products using our DDS for colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Example of 3D printed medicines
Second, we are expanding into the community pharmacy scene. Our range of 3D printers, CraftMake, can 3D print pharmaceutical and nutraceutical preparations consistently and continuously, enabling community pharmacies to reduce labor costs and increase production.
Finally, we will also work with a hospital in Singapore to launch Southeast Asia’s first-ever clinical trial involving 3D printing of medicines. The first use case will be a tablet for tuberculosis, for which it is important to adhere to the prescribed drug regimen, since it is very contagious.
3DN: Any last words for our readers?
Don’t hesitate to follow us now because next year we will continue to innovate at the forefront of 3D printed medicines! Visit our website ICI to know more.
What do you think of the 3D printing solution developed by Craft Health? Share your opinion in the comments to the article. Find all our videos on our channel YouTube or follow us on Facebook or Twitter !
*All photos credit: Craft Health
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