3D printing of medicinal products

In 2015, the FDA approved Spritam which is the first drug developed using the 3D printing technology. Previously known active substance levetiracetam is used for its manufacture, and it is used in the treatment of epilepsy. The tablets “printed” with this substance look as usual but they can almost instantly dissolve even in small portions of water.

“Nobel” RNA interference for the treatment of rare genetic diseases

In 1998, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello described the mechanism of RNA interference. This mechanism enables to control the activity of certain genes in the cells of animals, plants and fungi. In 2006, for their research, they received the Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine. And in 2018 and 2019, the FDA approved two drugs, the effect of which is built on the same mechanism, and they are Patisiran and Givosiran.

Gene therapy for leukaemia and lymphoma

In 2017, the FDA approved two drugs: Kymriah for the treatment of acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia and Yescarta to treat certain types of lymphoma.