Spritam, First 3-D Printing Prescription Drug, Approved By The FDA

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription drug through 3-D printing on Monday, according to the New York Times. The pill, called Spritam, treats certain seizures caused by epilepsy and is expected to hit market in the first quarter of 2016.

The drug is manufactured by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals through a layered process of 3-D printing. One of the benefits of the drug is that it allows users to consume a high dosage (up to 1,000 milligrams of Spritam) in one pill. “The 3-D printing process creates a pill that has “a porous formulation that rapidly disintegrates with a sip of liquid,” the company told NPR.

In the wake of this technological milestone, Twitter has responded positively:

The process of printing prescription pills represents a major step toward technology creating more convenience in our lives. As chemist Lee Cronin said in a 2012 Ted Talk, “Imagine your printer like a refrigerator that is full of all the ingredients you might require…” and then imagine that your printer could also print your own medicine.

Come 2016, we can stop imagining.