3D Printing at

University College of London (UCL)

School of Pharmacy

Dr. J.D. Polk and Dr. Neal Zapp met with a host of partners in the United Kingdom recently, but also had a chance to visit the University College London School of Pharmacy. The 3D printing lab is led by Professor Abdul Basit (UCL School of Pharmacy), a team of researchers, as well as FabRx, a UCL spin-out co-founded by three members of the UCL research team.

The Basit lab has previously developed 3D-printed polypills to help people who need to take multiple medications each day, as well as pills with braille patterns to help the visually impaired. Dr Alvaro Goyanes (UCL School of Pharmacy, FabRx and Universidade de Santiago de Compostela) said: “Personalised 3D-printed medicines are evolving at a rapid pace and reaching the clinic. To match the fast-paced clinical environment, we have developed a 3D printer that produces tablets within seconds. This technology could be a game changer for the pharmaceutical industry.”

But such technologies may also be a game-changer for deep space missions, as limited mass and volume prevents taking an entire pharmacy with you to planets like Mars. The ability to 3D print medications on demand in such environments would be an enabling technology.