Additively manufactured, drug-delivering implants adapted to the individual patient anatomy

Introduction Pharmacotherapy of pathological conditions within the skull presents significant challenges due to physiological barriers like the blood-labyrinth barrier. The use of systemic drug application, whether oral or intravenous, often demands exceedingly high doses to achieve adequate drug bioavailability in head structures. This approach is associated with substantial adverse effects and the risk of failing to attain the necessary drug concentration in the target area, resulting in inconsistent outcomes in clinical drug therapies. The solution to these challenges lies in localized, sustained drug delivery. The development of personalized implants that precisely conform to a patient's anatomy is of paramount importance. 3D-printing allows design freedom and therefore the additive manufacturing of patient-individualized drug delivering implants.