The FDA Just Approved A 3D-Printed Pill For The First Time Ever

Medical technology took a huge leap forward as a 3D-printed pill was declared safe for human consumption for the first time.

According to TIME, the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for SPRITAM, a drug produced by Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company for the treatment of epilepsy.

A press release from the company says the pill dissolves quicker than traditional tablets of the same purpose, which can be large and difficult to swallow for elderly or younger patients.

The pill, which is the first 3D-printed medicine to gain FDA approval, is made by printing out layers of powder that get attached together, Quartz reports.

Aprecia noted because 3D printing creates pills through a uniform piece-by-piece method, doctors will know exactly how much of a drug is in a certain medication.

Other healthcare tools produced by 3D printers include dental implants, surgical models made to scale and even the replacement material for 75 percent of a man's skull.

3D-printed organs and bones that will eliminate the ongoing lack of donations problem and push mankind to the brink of immortality, reports Quartz, are currently in the developmental phases.

Could death seriously be a thing of the past once it becomes easy and affordable to create vital biological parts that do not deteriorate with age?

Citations: US Approves First 3D Printed Pill (TIME), The FDA has approved the first drug made by a 3D printer (Quartz)