King's College London

• Additive manufacturing/3D printing of dosage forms.
• Digitalisation and personalisation of dosage forms.
• Smart and environment-responsive dosages.
• Oral delivery of peptides, proteins and vaccines.
• Scale-up and manufacturing of nanomedicine.
• Coating technology solution of nutraceutical products.
• Physical characterization and stability of large molecules.

Mohamed’s research focuses on applying the latest advances in material science and electronics in the pharmaceutical field. This research is an endeavour to bridge the gap between drug delivery and pharmaceutical technology on one hand and new design and production methods such as 3D printing on the other hand. The goal of this effort is to break current boundaries of oral drug delivery systems and formulation design and to link pharmacy to an increasingly smart and digitally connected environment of this age. This effort can enable the digitalisation of dosage form design and prototyping, innovation of new drug delivery systems that are responsive to biosensors and environmental changes as well as improving the personalisation of dosage forms.

His fundamental research has led to several world firsts; first example of using pharmaceutical grade polymers in FDM 3D printing, first 3D printed tablets to meet the US and British Pharmacopoeias for delayed release products, and first examples of 3D printing of liquid capsule. He introduced and patented the innovative concept of tablets of complex architecture as a solution for fast disintegration and dissolution. Mohamed is working with industrial and clinical partners on the manufacturing of 3D printed dosage forms. He is also collaborating with two global manufacturers of pharmaceutical coating on the scale-up and commercialising a next generation of coating solution of nutraceutical products.

First Example of Using Pharmaceutical Grade Polymers in FDM 3D Printing

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGpbiJxkkak

A Video demonstration for fabricating theophylline tablet (commonly used in the management of asthma) using Fused Deposition Modelling 3D printer (Oct 2014)

World’s First 3D printed Delayed release Tablet to meet USP Criteria

In vitro release pattern of theophylline from single-process 3D printed tablets in USP II pH change dissolution test in phosphate buffer (Left). SEM and Raman images (Left top and bottom) of a cross-section of 0.52 mm thickness shell theophylline tablet.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11095-016-2073-3

Novel Design Approach for Building Next Generation Oral Doses

(A) channled tablet design allows the acceleration of drug release from hydrochlorothiazide tablet (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365917310180) and Gaplet design allows facilitated fragmantation of the tablet without the use of any disintegrant (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928098718301349).

Point-of-Care Production of Patient-Specific ‘Polypill’ Doses

False-coloured SEM images of the surface and cross-section of multidrug 3D printed tablet for bespoke point-of-care treatment of hypertensive patient (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0939641118313109?via%3Dihub)