FDA Approves 3D-Printed Pill to Treat Epilepsy

The US Food and Drug Administration has officially approved distribution of the world's first 3D-printed pill. The pill will be used to treat both adults and children who suffer from seizures due to epilepsy, reports Economic Times.

The revolutionary pill, named Spritam, was made by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals using specialized 3D printing technology called ZipDose. Aprecia is expected to start distributing the tablet in early 2016.

Extreme Tech explains that ZipDose is not much different than other 3D printers.The only difference between traditional 3D printers and Aprecia's printer lies in the material they use to print an object.

Traditional 3D printers use heated polymers to make an object, while ZipDose uses pharmaceutical compounds, states BBC News. Other than the material used, both normal 3D printers and ZipDose create the desired object the same way: layer by layer. 

Spritam actually contains Levetiracetam, which is sold under a variety of brands and also available as a generic prescription in the U.S. and the UK. So the pill itself is not actually revolutionary, but how it was created is.

The FDA's approval of the pill has heralded a new path for future production of medications. 3D-printef pills will not only decrease the price of medications, but also allow doctors to customize medications to individual patients' needs. 

Dr. Mohamed Albed Alhnan, who lectures about pharmaceutics at the University of Central Lancashire, explained:  

"For the last 50 years we have manufactured tablets in factories and shipped them to hospitals and for the first time this process means we can produce tablets much closer to the patient." 

According to BBC news, Aprecia's drug printing techonology can fill up to 1,000 miligrams into separate pills. Spritam looks like any other pill and dissolves like other pills as well. 

The Washington Post notes that the Spritam is not the first time 3D printing has been used in the medical field. In fact, doctors have already relied on 3D printing to create customised implants and prosthetics for patients with injuries and other health issues. 

BBC adds that dentists have been known to replicate jaws and teeth with 3D printers. Medical experts are currently researching other possible uses of 3D printing in medicine, like printing human tissure or even whole organs. 

Chemist Lee Cronin, from the University of Glasgow, talked about the possibliites of 3D printers and its application to drugs back in 2012 at TedGlobal talk. His vision was made a reality when the FDA approved Spritam.