- A team of researchers from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) has developed a 3D printing and chemical analysis system of drugs "cheaper and faster" than traditional processes, according to a study published today in the journal Science.
"I think the system will change the way we make fine chemicals, and possibly drugs. Confidence and collaboration will increase, so we expect the industry to receive it well, "one of the project's scientists, Professor Lee Cronin, told Efe.
In addition, Cronin clarified that the system makes it possible for chemical substances to be stabilized and isolated "as in the traditional chemical industry."
According to the authors in their study, the central drug manufacturing plants are expensive to maintain and reuse for the production of different medications.
On the contrary, the system created by Professor Philip Kitson and his colleagues produces a customized model for the synthesis of drugs using simple plastic modules that can be easily assembled on site, at low cost.
The software is used to identify the chemical reactions and processes required for each medication, and then the ideal cameras and components are created with a cheap 3D printer, which costs approximately $ 2,000.
"All the steps are encoded in the 3D architecture of the cartridge, so that chemical reactions, processing and purification are carried out automatically, with minimal intervention and user exposure," they wrote.
The researchers tested the ability of the system to produce baclofen, a muscle relaxant, and discovered that they could use it to prepare the drug from "three simple steps": identification of chemical reactions and processes, translation to 3D models and creation.
For the authors, this system has "multiple benefits", among which universal access, a more efficient distribution and a cheaper system stand out.
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