Researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a 3D printing approach to tackle a long-standing gap in pediatric care: the lack of safe, precisely measured drug doses for children. Led by Professor Mansoor Khan, the team is building hospital-ready technology designed to replace improvised liquid formulations with on-demand, accurately dosed tablets — a shift that is expected to improve treatment consistency and patient outcomes.
Compounding Limits and the 3D Printing Alternative
To work around the absence of pediatric-friendly drug options, pharmacists often rely on compounding — modifying adult medications by crushing or mixing them into liquids. While this method allows dose adjustments, it can compromise a drug’s stability, and liquid mixtures may not distribute ingredients evenly. As a result, children may receive inconsistent amounts of the active substance.
These inconsistencies increase the risk of underdosing or overdosing and can make treatments less effective. Liquid medicines may also taste unpleasant, making adherence more difficult.
To address these challenges, Khan’s research group is exploring 3D printing to create individualized medications. Their technique enables precise control over dosage, shape, color, size and flavor, producing tablets tailored to each patient’s needs. The project has secured $6 million from the National Institutes of Health to advance the printing system and develop real-time monitoring tools to assess product quality.
“Our goal is to have this 3D printing technology in hospitals,” Khan said. “The problem is that the hospitals do not have the equipment necessary for testing. We wanted to create good, real-time monitoring equipment that can evaluate how good or bad the product is.”
Progress Toward Clinical Adoption
So far, the FDA has approved only one 3D printed drug, and Khan served as its lead reviewer. Using that experience, the team now aims to bring the technology into hospitals so they can print personalized medications on demand for each patient. The technology is also expected to be able for several medications to be printed into one tablet, making treatment easier and boosting adherence for both pediatric and older patients.
The team hopes regulators will ultimately classify the method as compounding, allowing hospitals to adopt it more easily without the regulatory burden associated with commercial drug manufacturing. “The FDA labels 3D printing as an emerging technology,” Kayalar said. “That means it has a very good chance of becoming part of the current landscape in pharmaceutical manufacturing, but there is still debate over whether it should be labeled as manufacturing or compounding.”
“If a doctor can do this, the FDA can do this too,” Kayalar said. “The sky is the limit.”
Developments in 3D Printed Health
In August, Private, nonprofit science and technology organization Battelle and 3D pharmaceutical company Aprecia received a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) agreement to advance the Establishing Qualification Processes for Agile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (EQUIP-A-Pharma) research program, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC). The EQUIP-A-Pharma program will explore how Battelle’s custom small-scale chemical synthesis platform, combined with Aprecia’s Z-Form Flex 3D printing technology, can accelerate U.S. drug production to provide high-quality, sustainable medications.
Elsewhere, Chinese drug 3D printing firm Triastek recently announced that its 3D printed drug product, D23, Budesonide Ileum Targeted Tablets for the treatment of IgAN (Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy)—a kidney disorder characterized by the buildup of immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits in the kidneys—has demonstrated favorable results in a recent clinical study. D23 is a budesonide delayed-release tablet produced using the Melt Extrusion Deposition (MED) process, which Triastek has scaled through its proprietary 3D Microstructure for Intestine Targeting (3DμS-IT) platform. This platform facilitates the precise release and delivery of the drug to the ileum, enhancing the tablet’s effectiveness.
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Featured image shows Professor Mansoor Khan. Photo via Texas A&M.
