Pimobendan controlled release guar gum printlets: Tailoring drug doses for personalised veterinary medicines

• Published in: International journal of pharmaceutics 2024-04, Vol.655, p.124017-124017, Article 124017
• Main Authors: Leão, Júlia, Winck, Valeria Luiza, Petzhold, Cesar Liberato, Collares, Fabricio Mezzomo, de Andrade, Diego Fontana, Beck, Ruy Carlos Ruver
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D printing; Controlled release; Hydrogels; Rheology; Semisolid extrusion; Veterinary
• ISSN: 0378-5173; 1873-3476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124017

[Display omitted] •Guar gum hydrogels have good rheological properties as semisolid extrusion three-dimensional printing ink.•The shape of the printlets did not change their controlled drug release profiles.•Dose customisation was achieved by adjusting the size of guar gum printlets.•Guar gum printlets showed controlled release behavior regardless of their shape and size. Treating chronic heart diseases in dogs is challenging due to variations in mass within and between species. Pimobendan (PBD), a veterinary drug only, is prescribed in specific cases of chronic heart disease in dogs and is available on the market in only a few different doses. Furthermore, the therapy itself is challenging due to the large size of the chewable tablets and the requirement for twice-daily administration. The development of customised and on-demand PBD medicines by three-dimensional (3D) printing has been proposed to circumvent these disadvantages. In this study, we designed controlled-release flavoured printlets containing PBD. We evaluated the use of two natural polymers, guar or xanthan gums, as the main component of the printing inks. Guar gum showed the better rheological behavior and printability by semisolid extrusion. The printlets were produced in three different shapes and sizes to allow dose customisation. Guar gum printlets showed a PBD controlled release profile, regardless of their shape or size. Therefore, we have demonstrated a novel approach for controlling PBD drug release and tailoring the dose by employing a natural polymer to produce 3D-printed tablets. This study represents a significant step towards the development of 3D-printed guar gum controlled-release formulations for veterinary applications.