3D printing firm Triastek has partnered with Eli Lilly, a global pharmaceutical company, to develop 3D-printed oral gastrointestinal drugs.
Triastek was founded in 2015 and works primarily in the research and development of printing oral drugs. The company has developed an extrusion-based printing process that mixes, melts and deposits ingredients into a capsule that allows for more precisely timed drug release than conventional tablets.
Together, Eli Lily and Triastek will study inactive ingredients and how they impact drug stability. The partners will then analyze the best 3D-printed structures to target drug delivery to specific areas in the intestine and optimize bioavailability.
The company has gone through six rounds of funding and has several pharmaceutical investors, according to a July 24 news release.
Two of its 3D-printed medications for rheumatoid arthritis have already received investigational new drug clearance from the FDA.