Insider | Eugene Borukhovich
New
possibilities in 3D printing may open up a whole new chapter of opportunities
for pharmaceutical research and bio-technology applications. There are a number
of ways it could be used — drug dosage forms, supporting delivery, or helping
to research cures. Let’s explore how that might work.
3D printing
has been around for many years; predominantly been used in manufacturing.
This type of printing, also called stereolithography, can create almost any object by fusing
different materials, layer by layer, to form a physical version of a digital 3D
image. Over the past 15 years, 3D printing has expanded into the healthcare
industry, where it’s used to create custom prosthetics and dental implants.
Now, there may be an opportunity to use it for personalized healthcare as well.
Pharmaceutical
drug research and development could be improved drastically by 3D printing.
Rather than printing objects made out of plastic or metal, imagine printing
pills or human organs and tissue. This would allow companies to test drugs much
more safely (and much cheaper). It seems to be within science’s reach — and
closer than ever.
Healthcare changes on the horizon
Compared to
other sectors, 3D printing technology has played a minor role in healthcare so
far. Experts assume that healthcare only accounted for 1.6 percent of all
investments made into the $700 million 3D printing industry. However, that
number is expected to grow to 21 percent over the next 10 years.