3D Printing of Metformin HCl PVA Tablets by Fused Deposition Modeling: Drug Loading, Tablet Design, and Dissolution Studies

The main aim of this work was to 3D print metformin HCl–loaded PVA (ML-PVA) tablets by fused deposition modeling. A modified solvent diffusion approach was used to improve drug loading. PVA filaments were placed in metformin HCl solution in ethanol containing low water content (10%(v/v)) to enhance the drug’s solubility. The physicochemical properties of ML-PVA filaments were characterized before and after printing. Lastly, ML-PVA filaments were printed into channeled tablet designs to increase their surface area available for dissolution. The loading of metformin HCl onto PVA filament has significantly increased from 0.08 ± 0.02% in metformin HCl solution in absolute ethanol to 1.40 ± 0.02% in ethanol-water (9:1). The IR spectra of PVA filament soaked in ethanol-water depicted higher peak intensity at 1138 cm−1, indicating higher degree of crystallinity. Thermal analysis of the soaked PVA filaments showed higher melting enthalpies yet lower melting temperature (Tm) compared to unprocessed PVA. ML-PVA filaments were successfully printed into round-channeled tablets (10% infill) with higher surface area and area/volume ratios compared with the solid ones. The inclusion of channels in the tablet design modified their printing pattern causing an unexpected increase in their mass. The dissolution profiles of ML-PVA tablets were mainly dependent on their area/mass ratios. Our results show a simple approach to increase metformin HCl loading onto PVA and reveal the significance of tablet design, infill percentage, and printing pattern as they dictate the area, volume, and the mass of the tablet which impact its dissolution rate.