A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore created a new tablet fabrication method that produces a single customizable pill specific to patients' needs.
Assistant Professor Soh Siow Ling, PhD, and PhD student Sun Yajuan of the NUS Faculty of Engineering developed the method, which would allow patients to take a single pill containing all necessary medications. The pill can be tailored to release drugs at designated times throughout the day for optimal therapeutic effect, according to Science Daily.
To create the pills, physicians would simply layout the desired release profile in a computer software program, generating a patient-specific capsule that can then be printed with a 3D printer.
While some tablet-production methods including 3D printing currently exist, most have limitations in regards to dosages, release profiles and durability.
"For a long time, personalized tablets has [sic] been a mere concept as it was far too complex or expensive to be realized. This new tablet fabrication method is a game changer — it is technically simple, relatively inexpensive and versatile. It can be applied at individualized settings where physicians could produce customized pills on the spot for patients, or in mass production settings by pharmaceutical companies," said Dr. Ling, according to Science Daily.
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