CurifyLabs, a Finnish healthtech company, is the first to offer 3D printing of medicine as a scalable and practical service.
The company is now launching GMP (good manufacturing practice)-produced pharma inks for 3D printable medicines, providing a novel solution for producing patient-tailored and personalised medicines in pharmacies and hospitals. CurifyLabs' Pharma Kit, including automated 3D printing technology combined and printable pharmaceutical inks, enables wider adoption of personalised medicine, resulting in better future care for patients with different needs.
The demand for personalised medicine is increasing in healthcare. Genetic differences, age, gender, allergies, and disabilities can all affect how individuals react to medication. Mass production of medicine and standardised dosages can lead to ineffective treatment, side effects, and significant health risks for certain patients. Personalised treatment and medication are crucial, especially for patients in vulnerable situations like cancer patients and children.
According to a report by the European Commission, currently, over 50% of medicines are not registered for use in children. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that pharmacogenetic testing in optimisation of drug dosing reduces adverse reactions in patients.*
We are thrilled to introduce the world's first Pharma Ink for 3D printing of drugs and offer a solution for producing personalised medicines in pharmacies and hospitals efficiently and safely
- Charlotta Topelius, CEO and co-founder of CurifyLabs
"There is a significant need for scalable and practical methods to produce customised drugs that precisely match a patient's needs. We are thrilled to introduce the world's first Pharma Ink for 3D printing of drugs and offer a solution for producing personalised medicines in pharmacies and hospitals efficiently and safely. This enables wider drug availability and better care for people with various medical conditions, particularly those in vulnerable situations where personalised treatment is the only option," said Charlotta Topelius, CEO and co-founder of CurifyLabs.
Currently, compounding – the preparation of personalised drug treatments – is done manually in pharmacies. Pharmacists measure and mix different ingredients to create medications tailored to specific patient requirements. While this practice ensures customisation, it often comes at the cost of time and potential human errors, compromising efficiency and patient safety.
To address the operational, financial, regulatory, and clinical challenges hindering the wider adoption of personalised medicines, CurifyLabs has developed an automated on-demand manufacturing concept, the CurifyLabs Pharma Kit, allowing the production of personalised medicines onsite in pharmacies. CurifyLabs’ team of pharmacists has developed a variety of printable pharmaceutical inks, for a wide range of APIs that are commonly compounded in pharmacies today. With CurifyLabs Pharma Printer and Pharma Inks, pharmacists have access to a library of printable inks for fast 3D printing in compliance with regulatory requirements for the field.
“Pharmacy-tailored drug manufacturing is very laborious and involves manual work steps. We have been waiting for this type of technology," added Catharina Kern, Pharmacist, at Münster University Hospital.
Niklas Sandler, CTO and Founder commented: “Pharmaceutical 3D printing automates the time-consuming manual compounding process, enabling pharmacists to efficiently produce custom medications while maintaining high manufacturing standards. The quality of all drugs produced are verified with in-process quality control tools with our solution. Our technology can save up to 70% of the time compared to manual methods.
“We’re happy to collaborate with CurifyLabs on this world premiere of printable pharmaceutical inks," said Kathrin Bartscher, Chief Scientific Officer at NextPharma.
Making high-quality automated compounding accessible to all pharmacies and patients unlocks a unique opportunity in a rapidly growing market. According to Global Market Insights, the global compounding market was valued at $11 billion in 2022, and it is projected to reach $18.2 billion by 2030, driven by the increasing demand for personalised medication.
“With our 3D printing solutions, we aim to reshape the landscape of pharmacy-tailored medicines in hospital and compounding pharmacies. Our goal is to build foundations for a healthcare system that delivers not only customised medications but also greater convenience, enhanced patient safety, and time savings for pharmacists”, Topelius concluded.