Ongoing collaboration with United Therapeutics Corp. and its organ manufacturing and transplantation-focused subsidiary, Lung Biotechnology PBC, has prompted 3D Systems to aggressively invest in bioprinting market. Leveraging this work as well as accomplishments with additional partners, 3D Systems intends to invest, further develop, and commercialize solutions for the diverse application opportunities in regenerative medicine, including the development of non-solid organ applications requiring biologically sustainable vasculature.
In 2020, 3D Systems and United Therapeutics achieved significant progress in the development of a next-generation additive manufacturing platform solution for lung scaffolds that is capable of full size, vascularized, rapid, micron-level printing. 3D Systems’ capabilities as a technology innovator, spanning hardware, software, and materials science, combined with United Therapeutics’ renowned expertise in regenerative medicine has enabled advances in lung modeling, 3D printing, as well as material formulation using a unique rhCollagen, and material handling to yield significant capabilities in bioprinters and biomaterials for lung manufacturing. As a result, 3D Systems has built a portfolio of unique capabilities specifically designed to address the requirements of regenerative medicine applications.
3D System's newly developed Print to Perfusion process enables 3D printing of high-resolution scaffolds which can be perfused with living cells to create tissues. The ability to print large, vascularized, highly detailed hydrogel scaffolds at rapid speeds is now opening new opportunities for a range of tissue applications. To advance these efforts, 3D Systems is expanding its high-speed figure 4 technology through innovation tailored to bioprinting and regenerative medicine. Building upon these capabilities, the company – in collaboration with its partners – will be able to advance innovation into numerous applications within the human body. The company also believes these capabilities have the potential to enable novel laboratory testing methods to accelerate the development of new drug therapies while reducing the need for animal testing.
“Over the last years as bioprinting and regenerative medicine have evolved, we’ve seen a growing need to place cells at high-resolution in a nurturing matrix to produce complex tissues,” said Chuck Hull, co-founder, executive vice president and chief technology officer, 3D Systems, in a statement. “Precise 3D printing with hydrogels, followed by perfusion of cells into the printed scaffold is the best way to achieve this, and we are thankful our work with United Therapeutics has given us the opportunity to advance and perfect this technology.”
When asked about the goals within this promising field, Hull told IndustryWeek, “Healthcare projects by nature are generally long term due to the requirements for regulatory approval. As we work through key projects over the course of the year, we are planning to hit feasibility milestones. We look forward to sharing updates on those activities at the appropriate time. Additionally, we would like to see part of our efforts result in short-term revenue this year to fuel further innovation.”
Regenerative Medicine Advances
Building on the progress the company has made to date, 3D Systems is infusing additional resources into its regenerative medicine R&D efforts to accelerate development programs that expand on the scope of potential applications. The company intends to add additional regenerative medicine domain expertise to its team, complementing the deep technology experience and expertise focused on these advanced applications. Additionally, the company is growing its roster of partners to broaden the portfolio of solutions the company offers. 3D Systems previously announced collaborations with CollPlant Biotechnologies and Antleron that expanded its capabilities in regenerative medicine.
CollPlant is the developer of proprietary recombinant human collagen (rhCollagen) BioInk technology, which is also being used in collaboration with United Therapeutics. Bringing together 3D Systems’ expertise in 3D printing and healthcare and CollPlant’s expertise in rhCollagen-based BioInks will enable joint development of tissue and scaffold bioprinting processes for third party collaborators. As a result, the companies are jointly addressing an unmet market need for a comprehensive solution to produce tissues and scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications.
Antleron co-creates, as an innovation pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine, personalized manufacturing solutions for advanced therapy applications. Antleron integrates core technologies such as 3D printing, bioreactors, and artificial intelligence with bioprocess know-how to enable disruptive manufacturing workflows that convert cells into living therapies. The 3D Systems/Antleron partnership wants to make 3D printing an integrated part of modular and digital factory-of-the-future solutions to enable sustainable and personalized manufacturing of cell & gene therapies, vaccines, tissues, and organs.
“The advancements we made in regenerative medicine to this point were achieved with a very small internal team and collaboration with key partners. As we move forward into the next phase, we will add capabilities, staff and resources to hit these goals,” said Hull. “As we expand the applications we address, talent is key. This will come in additional expertise on the 3D Systems team as well as aligning with new partners. With all the right people in place, we will be well-equipped to undertake the required R&D activities to develop the capabilities and technology required to address the requirements of regenerative medicine applications.”
Ongoing commitment
Healthcare applications are not new to 3D Systems. The company has delivered additive manufacturing solutions to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. 3D Systems is renowned for its VSP surgical planning solutions which have enabled the planning of more than 140,000 patient-specific surgical cases, as well as the production of more than two million medical devices from its operations in Littleton, Colorado, and Leuven, Belgium. 3D Systems’ NextDent 5100 digital dentistry solution is recognized as the industry leader in transforming prosthodontic and orthodontic production at dental laboratories and clinics. The company also has a long-standing relationship with Align Technology, Inc., the makers of Invisalign clear aligners, iTero scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM services, for which it has co-developed proprietary solutions comprised of customized hardware, software, and non-aligner materials that are used to mass-produce more than 500,000 unique patient-specific aligners per day.
“The progress that Chuck Hull and his team have made over the last three years, in collaboration with the Team from United Therapeutics, has been absolutely remarkable. Through unique developments in new printer hardware, software, and biomaterials technology, they have laid the foundation needed for accelerated commercialization of bioprinting at 3D Systems," said 3D Systems President and CEO Dr. Jeffery Graves in a statement. "Taking a strong application focus we will now expand our commercialization efforts in this nascent industry, which we believe will experience significant growth over the next decade. We expect these efforts to bring substantial benefits to the healthcare patients in critical need, both through direct applications within the human body, as well as in accelerating the development of drug therapies in the pharmaceutical industry. We anticipate regenerative medicine to be an exciting growth driver for our healthcare business over the next decade.”
