From the approving of 3D printing tablet to the innovation of drug delivery systems

A 3D printing tablet of levetiracetam has been approved by FDA on August 3th, 2015, as the first pharmaceutical product based on 3D printing technique. 3D printing tablet indicates the perfect combination of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), excipient, dosage form, pharmaceutical equipment and techniques including the software design and computer control. As a very vivid instance, the marketing of 3D printing tablet actually demonstrated again that the drug delivery systems (DDS) cannot work without preparation techniques, pharmaceutical excipient, device, manufacture and test equipment, package materials, and so on. This comment, briefly introduces the significance of these areas to DDS, as well as the advances and problems in China, followed by the indication that interdisciplinary study is the most critical feature for the innovation of DDS. It explains the rules of DDS innovation by various examples, and analyzes the challenges that we are facing. Finally, some suggestions are given to the innovation and development of DDS in China:① emphasizing the research on DDS with high originality; ② emphasizing the study on the areas closely related to the DDS, like preparation techniques, pharmaceutical excipient and so on; ③ emphasizing the substantially interdisciplinary research on DDS; ④ emphasizing the combination between the basic and translational study on DDS.