Microneedles (MNs) represent the concept of attractive, minimally invasive puncture devices of micron-sized dimensions that penetrate the skin painlessly and thus facilitate the transdermal administration of a wide range of active substances. MNs have been manufactured by a variety of production technologies, from a range of materials, but most of these manufacturing methods are time-consuming and expensive for screening new designs and making any modifications. Additive manufacturing (AM) has become one of the most revolutionary tools in the pharmaceutical field, with its unique ability to manufacture personalized dosage forms and patient-specific medical devices such as MNs. This review aims to summarize various 3D printing technologies that can produce MNs from digital models in a single step, including a survey on their benefits and drawbacks. In addition, this paper highlights current research in the field of 3D printed MN-assisted transdermal drug delivery systems and analyzes parameters affecting the mechanical properties of 3D printed MNs. The current regulatory framework associated with 3D printed MNs as well as different methods for the analysis and evaluation of 3D printed MN properties are outlined.

Microneedles (MNs) have been manufactured using a variety of methods from a range of materials, but most of them are expensive and time-consuming for screening new designs and making any modifications. Therefore, stereolithography (SLA) has emerged as a promising approach for MN fabrication due to its numerous advantages, including simplicity, low cost, and the ability to manufacture complex geometrical products at any time, including modifications to the original designs. This work aimed to print MNs using SLA technology and investigate the effects of post-printing curing conditions on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed MNs. Solid MNs were designed using CAD software and printed with grey resin (Formlabs, UK) using Form 3 printer (Formlabs, UK). MNs dimensions were 1.2 × 0.4 × 0.05 mm, arranged in 6 rows and 6 columns on a 10 × 10 mm baseplate. MNs were then immersed in an isopropyl alcohol bath to remove unpolymerized resin residues and cured in a UV-A heated chamber (Formlabs, UK). In total, nine samples were taken for each combination of curing temperature (35°C, 50°C, and 70°C) and curing time (5 min, 20 min, and 60 min). Fracture tests were conducted using a hardness apparatus TB24 (Erweka, Germany). MNs were placed on the moving probe of the machine and compressed until fracture. The optimization of the SLA process parameters for improving the strength of MNs was performed using the Taguchi method. The design of experiments was carried out based on the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array. Experimental results showed that the curing temperature has a significant influence on MN strength improvements. Improvement of the MN strength can be achieved by increasing the curing temperature and curing time.

Although homeostasis is a commonly accepted concept, there is incontrovertible evidence that biological processes and functions are variable and that variability occurs in cycles. In order to explain and understand dysregulation, which has not been embraced by homeostatic principles, the allostatic model has emerged as the first serious challenge to homeostasis, going beyond its homeostatic roots. Circadian rhythm is the predominant variation in the body, and it is a pattern according to which many physiological and pathological events occur. As there is strong experimental and clinical evidence that blood pressure fluctuations undergo circadian rhythm, there is equally strong evidence that targeted time therapy for hypertension provides a better outcome of the disease. The research has gone even further throughout the development and approval process for the use of pulsatile drug release systems, which can be considered as an option for an even more convenient dosage regimen of the medicines needed.

Glaucoma is considered to be one of the biggest health problems in the world. It is the main cause of preventable blindness due to its asymptomatic nature in the early stages on the one hand and patients’ non-adherence on the other. There are several approaches in glaucoma treatment, whereby this has to be individually designed for each patient. The first-line treatment is medication therapy. However, taking into account numerous disadvantages of conventional ophthalmic dosage forms, intensive work has been carried out on the development of novel drug delivery systems for glaucoma. This review aims to provide an overview of formulation solutions and strategies in the development of in situ gel systems, nanosystems, ocular inserts, contact lenses, collagen corneal shields, ocular implants, microneedles, and iontophoretic devices. The results of studies confirming the effectiveness of the aforementioned drug delivery systems were also briefly presented.

Approximately 70-90% of the new active pharmaceutical ingredients/drugs are poorly soluble in water/biological fluids. Improvement of solubility, dissolution rate, bioavailability are the main characteristics of drug nanocrystals that are important for oral drug administration. High bioadhesive activity, depending on the type of stabilizer, is considered to be an essential feature of drug nanocrystals for oral, dermal, ocular dosage forms (Chang et al., 2015; Sheokand et al., 2018; Tuomela et al., 2016). Drug nanocrystals are solid nanosized particles of pharmacologically active substances, mainly BCS class IIa and IIb, 200 to 600 nm in diameter, homogeneously coated with 10-50% stabilizer/surfactants and/or polymers, forming ultrafine dispersion (Malamatari et al., 2018). Drug nanocrystals are usually in the crystalline state, but depending on the manufacturing method and process parameters, they may be in the amorphous state (Shete et al., 2014). Drug nanocrystals can be obtained by increasing their particle size by controlled precipitation/agglomeration from solution or by reducing drug particle size by milling to the desirable size. The two basic methods for obtaining drug nanocrystals are bottom up (e.g., precipitation) and top down (e.g., milling) methods, or drug nanocrystals can be made by a combination of these processes. By combining these two methods the desired particle size of drugs can be achieved and disadvantages of the individual methods are overcomed. These methods are intended for the preparation of liquid pharmaceutical nanosuspensions whose internal phase consists of drug nanocrystals particles, which can be converted into solid drug nanocrystals by post-production processes (spray drying, freeze drying or other process) in order to improve chemical, physical stability of drug during storage, when the selected stabilizer of drug nanocrystal could not provide long-term stability of the liquid nanosuspension (Sheokand et al., 2018).