TY  - INPR
N2  - Ulcerative colitis is a global health problem, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. As an inflammatory condition localised in the large intestine, rectal delivery of immunosuppressive therapies such as tacrolimus is a promising strategy to maximise drug concentration at the site of action whilst minimising systemic side effects. Here, for the first time, self-supporting 3D-printed tacrolimus suppositories were prepared without the aid of moulds using a pharmaceutical semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printer. The suppositories were printed vertically in three different sizes using combinations of two lipid pharmaceutical excipients (Gelucire 44/14 or Gelucire 48/16) and coconut oil. Although both suppository formulations had the appropriate viscosity characteristics for printing, the Gel 44 formulation required less energy and force for extrusion compared to the Gel 48 system. The Gel 44 disintegrated more rapidly but released tacrolimus more slowly than the Gel 48 suppositories. Although the tacrolimus release profiles were significantly different, both suppository systems released more than 80% drug within 120?min. DSC and XRD analysis was inconclusive in determining the solid-state properties of the drug in the suppositories. In summary, this article reports on the fabrication of 3D printed self-supporting suppositories to deliver personalised doses of a narrow therapeutic index drug, with potential benefits for patients with ulcerative colitis.
ID  - discovery10117138
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajps.2020.06.003
JF  - Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
A1  - Seoane-Viaño, I
A1  - Ong, JJ
A1  - Luzardo-Álvarez, A
A1  - González-Barcia, M
A1  - Basit, AW
A1  - Otero-Espinar, FJ
A1  - Goyanes, A
KW  - 3D printed drug products
KW  -  Semi-solid extrusion 3D printing
KW  -  Inflammatory bowel disease
KW  -  Suppository drug delivery
KW  -  Pressure assisted syringe
KW  -  M3dimaker
TI  - 3D printed tacrolimus suppositories for the treatment of ulcerative colitis
AV  - public
Y1  - 2020/07/09/
N1  - © 2020 Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
ER  -