Novel 3D printing drug delivery system for the prevention and treatment of Atherosclerosis

3D printing drug delivery systems can be advantageous over traditional drug delivery systems because of the ability to create a more personalized and specific patient regimen based on the patient’s characteristics and disease. The future of 3D printed drug delivery could enhance drug efficacy versus traditional dosing methods. Atherosclerosis is a common progressive disease of the arteries occurring more frequently in older adults. Risk factors for atherosclerosis include high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL), high total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), environmental factors, and infection or injury-induced metabolic abnormalities. Currently, oral statin drug therapy is first-line for lowering LDL in those at risk for atherosclerotic disease because of enhanced drug efficacy over alternative pharmacologic options. Problems with oral statin therapy as well as other lipid-lowering therapies include first-pass hepatic metabolism, low bioavailability, numerous drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions. Some of these problems can be addressed by the use of novel 3D printing technologies to produce customized, patient-specific, and fast dissolvable dosage forms.