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Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technologies are characterized as a set of innovative manufacturing techniques that allow for the creation of complex and/or personalized three-dimensional physical objects on the work surface of a 3D printing machine (based on the computer-aided design (CAD) project designs of these parts). Three-dimensional printing techniques are widely used in various areas of knowledge, such as education, engineering, and biomedicine. Polymeric materials are widely used for these applications, mainly due to their desirable workability during part manufacturing, compatibility with other chemical materials, the wide range of polymers with different physical and chemical characteristics, and the possibility for recycling. The development of polymeric drug delivery systems (DDSs) by 3D printing is currently an active field of research, both in academia and industry, given the potential of this technique for medical purposes. In this context, this work reviews potential polymers for the production of drug delivery systems via 3D printing techniques. The demonstrations of the main 3DP techniques used for drug delivery applications include their working principles and advantages and how the technologies develop the final product. In addition, potential synthetic and natural polymers that are currently used in 3DP drug delivery devices are presented and discussed based on recent scientific studies.

The importance of the Eudragit® E100 copolymer (E100) is recognized in the pharmaceutical industry as a pH-dependent coating material in conventional oral administration dosage applications, where a modified release profile is required. On the other hand, its arrangement for 3D printing of cylindrical-shaped filaments containing drugs (to produce customized pharmaceuticals), is still scarce in the literature, and is currently an open field of research. One of the main challenges involves the manufacture of filaments that are flexible and functional, as their cylindrical shape (which is necessary for its use on FDM 3D printers) significantly increases the material’s fragility. Thus, the objective of this work was to prepare and characterize E100/Hesperidin (Hsp) filaments, and to study in vitro dissolution from Hsp active molecules of this unconventional polymeric matrix. The hybrid filaments were produced using a surface chemical treatment of the material resulting from a hot-melt extrusion process. The microstructural characterization of the filaments was performed using SEM, XRD, FTIR and ATR. The thermal analysis of the materials was performed using DSC, and the mechanical resistance was analyzed using flexural testing. The in vitro release profiles of the filament-arranged drug were evaluated in solutions of simulated gastro and intestinal fluids.