3D Printed Flavor-Rich Chewable Pediatric Tablets Fabricated Using Microextrusion for Point of Care Applications

Over the past few years, 3D printing technologies have gained interest in the development of medicinal products for personalized use at the point of care. The printing of drug products offers personalization and flexibility in dose, shape/design, and flavor, potentially enhancing acceptability in pediatric populations. In this study, we present the design and development of ibuprofen (IBU) chewable flavor-rich personalized dosage forms by using microextrusion for the processing of powdered blends. The optimization processing parameters such as applied pneumatic pressure and temperature resulted in high quality printable tablets of various designs with a glossy appearance. Physicochemical characterization of the printed dosages revealed that IBU was molecularly dispersed in the methacrylate polymer matrix and the formation of H bonding. A panelist’s study demonstrated excellent taste masking and aroma evaluation when using strawberry and orange flavors. Dissolution studies showed very fast IBU dissolution rates of more than 80% within the first 10 min in acidic media. Microextrusion is a 3D printing technology that can be effectively used to generate pediatric patient centric dosage forms at the point of care.