FDA Approves 3-D–Printed Drug

The US Food and Drug Administration green lights the first medicine produced by a 3-D printer for use in the human body.

Written byJef Akst

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APRECIA PHARMACEUTICALSAt first glance, SPRITAM looks like any other pill. But the drug, developed by pharmaceutical company Aprecia, is actually layers of powder laid down by a 3-D printer. Its approval this week (August 3) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of epilepsy marks the first 3-D–printed drug to reach the US market, according to a company press release.

SPRITAM is a branded version of the generic anticonvulsant drug levetiracetam. The tablet is designed to dissolve more quickly in the human body than existing pills, and it can provide custom and uniform doses, as well as better taste-masking options, according to the company.

“By combining 3-D printing technology with a highly-prescribed epilepsy treatment, SPRITAM is designed to fill a need for patients who struggle with their current medication experience,” Aprecia CEO Don Wetherhold said in the release. “This is the first in a line of central nervous system products Aprecia plans to introduce as part of our commitment to transform the way patients experience taking medication.”

According to Forbes, SPRITAM could become available in the first quarter of 2016.

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
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Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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