Recently, on October 11th, 2023, it was found that a pharmaceutical start-up company called MB-Therapeutics used its MED-U Modular 3D printer that offered personalized treatment to young patients. After 8 years of extensive research, the company developed a patient-centric solution that enabled dose customization and form adaptation. Dr. Ian Soulairol, the Co-founder of the company found that 40% of parents make dosing mistakes with their children’s medication, showing that capsules and tablets were ill-suited for them due to the ingredients and size. This triggered the pharmacists in the company to create personalized and easily administered medications, which safeguarded young patients against dose errors. 

Throughout the solution drawn from the company, MB-Therapeutics also facilitated the production of oral forms, meeting each patient’s particular needs for the treatment. This also drastically reduced the healthcare waste generated from traditional treatments such as medicine and pills around the world. 

Not only for MB-Therapeutics, other pharmaceutical companies such as Triastek — a 3D printing firm in China — are putting much effort into creating 3D printed drugs designed for treating moderate to severe diseases in the immune system. Other universities such as University College London are also attempting to make 3D printed medicines accessible. 3D printing technology is therefore being expected to be used in the field of biomedicine and research, fostering an advanced, accessible technique for a wider range of patients. 

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Chloe Yu  (cyu2025@chadwickschool.org)