Children-appropriate, i. e. weight- and age-adapted dosage forms, are lacking for many drugs. This is particularly true in Neonatology for premature and newborn infants as well as in the field of rare diseases. One possible solution for this shortcoming could be the two-dimensional (2D) drug printing technique. Here, a GMP-compliant (“Good Manufacturing Practice”), drug-containing “ink formulation” is printed on an edible (orodispersible) polymer film. These films enable fine drug dosing, flexible drug combinations, patient-specific labeling of the respective film and particularly simple administration.

We are looking forward to your contact at:
Prof. Dr. med. Walter E. Haefeli
walter-emil.haefeli(at)med.uni-heidelberg.de

Our vision for wide availability of child-suitable drugs and precise dosage forms is supported by the Dietmar Hopp Foundation with a total of 1,360,000 euros: In the frame of a proof-of-concept projects, 2D drug printing is used to produce 2D dosage forms for 2 selected drugs. The first-time application of this individualized medicine in sick children or adolescents is associated with strict regulatory conditions and requires corresponding inter-/multidisciplinary cooperation between Clinical Pharmacology, the Pharmacy Department and the Center for Children and Adolescents Medicine. The first clinical trials using this promising technology are already being planned.