Technical pen-based printhead for high-precision microdosing of personalized therapies.
Drug delivery and translational research February 6, 2026 Paola Carou-Senra, Carlos Rial, Alex Richter et al.
A new liquid deposition method using a modified technical pen, integrated into a pharmaceutical printer, can produce oral films containing ultra-low doses of desmopressin, a hormone used for diabetes insipidus. The gravity-driven mechanism dispenses ink precisely without external thermal, pneumatic, or electrical inputs that might stress molecules. Films (2 × 4 cm) were made with therapeutically relevant doses (33–134 µg) by depositing up to four layers. The system achieved approximately 100% dose accuracy, with drug content strongly correlating with layer number. Films disintegrated rapidly and released the drug immediately, with no degradation over one month. Only 1 mL of ink can produce up to 238 single-layer films, making the approach precise, cost-effective, and promising for low-dose personalized medicine, including biologics.