3D-printing of lipid formulations: Going slow in a fast-paced field

Lipid-based excipients (LBE) are a crucial class of functional excipients with significant potential for pharmaceutical formulation and product development. The wide variety of molecules in this class provides opportunities for designing novel dosage forms. However, the utilization of LBEs for 3D-printing applications is currently limited, thereby hindering the full potential of lipids and impeding the advancement of 3D-printing technologies. Notably, only a few publications report the 3D-printing of lipid-based formulations. This review provides a detailed discussion and analysis of these publications. It elucidates the revolutionary capabilities of 3D-printing and presents the potential of LBEs as functional pharmaceutical excipients, with a particular focus on 3D-printing applications. Additionally, the review provides an overview of the current challenges from material perspectives and suggests potential future research topics related to LBEs for 3D-printing of personalized medicine.