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First 3D-Printed Pills Approved in US

© AP Photo / Aprecia Pharmaceuticals This product image provided by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals shows Spritam 750 mg, foreground, and 1000 mg tablets.
This product image provided by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals shows Spritam 750 mg, foreground, and 1000 mg tablets. - Sputnik International
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The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first 3D-printed pill, an epilepsy medicine called Spritam.

The prescription tablet is the first 3D-printed product that the FDA has approved for internal human consumption.

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Previous tablets did not dissolve easily. The company behind Spritam, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals, said the new, 3D-printed version has porous layers that make it easily dissolvable while still reaching a high dosage level.

Seizure medication is often large and difficult to swallow, particularly for the elderly and children, which makes Spritam a boon to those patients.

"By combining 3DP technology with a highly-prescribed epilepsy treatment, Spritam is designed to fill a need for patients who struggle with their current medication experience," Aprecia CEO Don Wetherhold said in a statement.

Spritam is expected to hit the market sometime in 2016.

The pill is the latest in a series of healthcare products that utilize 3D printing, including jaw replicas, dental implants, and hip replacements, Time reported. Scientists are also developing 3D-printed tracheas, bones, ears, kidneys and skin.

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