The First FDA Approved Drug Made by a 3D printer is Levetiracetam

UPDATE: March 22, 2016

SPRITAM® (levetiracetam) tablets are now available. Read Aprecia Pharmaceuticals' annoucemnent.

Talk with your medical team if you are interested in considering this treatment option.

Epilepsy News From: Monday, August 03, 2015

Aprecia announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SPRITAM® (levetiracetam) tablets as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures, myoclonic seizures, and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people with epilepsy. Spritam is the first three dimensional (3D) printed drug product approved by the FDA.

Spritam uses ZipDose® Technology platform, which produces a porous formulation through 3D printing; this allows the formulation to quickly disintegrate with a sip of liquid. The precise mechanism(s) by which levetiracetam exerts its antiepileptic effect is unknown. Levetiracetam inhibits burst firing without affecting normal neuronal excitability, suggesting that levetiracetam may selectively prevent hypersynchronization of epileptiform burst firing and propagation of seizure activity.

Spritam will be available as 250mg, 500mg, 750mg, and 1000mg strengths in 60-count cartons (6x10) in a spearmint flavor. It is expected to be available for prescription in the first quarter of 2016.

Read Aprecia's Press Announcement

Reviewed Date

Monday, August 03, 2015

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