Formulation & Characterization of Sustained Release: Multichambered Tablet of Losartan Potassium Using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D-Printer

Abstract

Introduction: The Aim of present research work was to formulate and characterize Sustained release: Multichambered Tablet Using Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D-Printer, the drug candidate used in this project was Losartan Potassium, is an Angiotensin receptor Type -II blocker.

Objectives: By altering the shell thickness and infill density %, sustained release action of tablet using API Losartan Potassium had been achieved.

Methods: The Novel method had been used for fabricating Tablet called “Pause and fill Method”. Tablets was prepared using FDM 3D-printer with three different batches (FI, FII and FIII) by creating variation in infill-density and inner wall thickness: 0.5mm, 1mm and 1.5 mm respectively using poly vinyl alcohol (PVA­) filament. As half-life of Losartan is 1.5–2hrs (Indian Pharmacopoeia, 2018) with poor bioavailability, sustained release tablet enhanced the bioavailability of the drug, the in-vitro drug release from the tablet drug is extended upto 270mins (approx.).

Results: From the Results it concluded that the FIII batch of tablet is the optimized batch with drug release about 99.23 % for 270 mins, whereas FII shows 98.69 % for 240 mins and FI shows 97.71% for 210 mins. The data when used to evaluate the kinetic studies, states that the coefficient ‘r’ indicated the drug release from the tablet which was followed by zero order release kinetics.

Conclusions: The work conclude that the FDM 3D printing process was capable for producing rapid and sustained release tablets on the basis of different thickness. This work also helps to decrease the side effects of drugs by providing sustained release of drugs & increase the safety and efficacy and avoid incompatible between APIs by developing drug release characteristics. The printer software enabled easy fabrication of oral drug delivery devices with different wall or chamber thickness.