Date of Award
1-1-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Pharmaceutical Science
First Advisor
Michael A. Repka
Second Advisor
Walter G. Chambliss
Third Advisor
Eman Ashour
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis is a condition caused by the polymorphic opportunistic fungus Candida albicans, which involves the first-line treatment with antifungal agents comprising azole groups. An intravaginal drug delivery device is an alternate approach to conventional therapy that transcend multiple daily administrations and systemic side effects associated with oral medications and offers effective drug concentrations at the target site for a sustained period. This study reports, for the first time, the development of a novel hollow vaginal device by exploiting stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology to achieve localized and extended delivery of Itraconazole. These devices were fabricated using a shape memory material (Elastic resin) and incorporated with five drug loadings (3% w/w (10mg ITZ), 6% w/w (20 mg ITZ), 9% w/w (30 mg ITZ), 11% w/w (40 mg ITZ), and 14% w/w (50 mg ITZ)) of lipid-based solid dispersion (Itraconazole-Ovucire) formulations. All the devices were printed with a smooth surface finish, showed excellent resistance to stretching forces, and were able to recoil to their original shape immediately after the external forces were withdrawn. This attribute of the device owes to its easy insertion, retention, and removal from the vagina. In vitro drug release and minimum inhibitory concentration, studies were carried out for seven days. The results revealed that Itraconazole was released at a sustained rate and the drug concentration at each time point was well above the minimum inhibitory concentration, proving its efficacy against Candida albicans. Therefore, SLA 3D printing is a promising approach for developing personalized vaginal drug delivery devices using elastic polymers, to achieve shape memory objects.
Recommended Citation
Lakkala, Preethi, "Development of Hollow Vaginal Device Using Stereolithography (SLA) 3D Printing for Intravaginal Drug Delivery" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2443.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2443
Concentration/Emphasis
Pharmaceutics