Sichuan Triastek Collaborates with Professor Ouyang Defang's Team at University of Macau to Accelerate AI-Driven 3D Printed Drug Development

On June 10, 2022, Nanjing Tripterygium Pharmaceuticals Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Tripterygium”) and Professor Ouyang Defang’s team at the University of Macau (hereinafter referred to as “Professor Ouyang”) announced a collaboration to leverage computational pharmaceutics and machine learning to accelerate the research and development of 3D-printed formulations, thereby enhancing the predictability, efficiency, and success rate of early-stage drug product development.

Professor Ouyang possesses multidisciplinary background and expertise in pharmaceutics and computer science. He joined the faculty of the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine at the University of Macau in November 2014. Since 2011, he has pioneered the application of artificial intelligence, big data, and multiscale simulation technologies to pharmaceutical formulation research, a field known as “Computational Pharmaceutics.” In 2015, he edited the first monograph in this field, *Computational Pharmaceutics*, and established the world’s first AI platform for drug formulation, Formulation AI.

After more than two decades of development, 3D printing technology for pharmaceuticals has become a digital formulation technology driving a “paradigm shift” in the pharmaceutical industry. Triastek, a global pioneer, has developed its proprietary MED (Melt Extrusion Deposition) 3D printing technology for drugs, establishing an end-to-end proprietary technology platform that spans drug dosage form design, digital product development, and continuous manufacturing. The company is committed to providing digital development and manufacturing solutions to pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Meanwhile, Triastek is actively exploring the application of emerging technologies in the pharmaceutical field and collaborating with universities and research institutions to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research achievements.

Leveraging Triiter’s proprietary “3D Printing Formulation by Design” (3DFbD) digital formulation development methodology as the core engine, and Professor Ouyang’s research achievements in computational pharmaceutics and machine learning as a catalyst, the two parties integrate intelligence with digitalization to enhance the R&D efficiency of 3D-printed formulations.

Professor Ouyang Defang stated, “3D printing of pharmaceuticals is an emerging technology in the field of drug formulation. This technology has freed the development of solid dosage forms from the traditional semi-empirical model, enabling precise design and control. As a leader in the field of 3D-printed pharmaceuticals, Triastek has accumulated extensive data on formulation structure design models, formulations, and in vitro and in vivo studies, making digital development of drug formulations possible. My expertise in pharmaceutical algorithms can further refine the digital development process of formulations, with the potential to establish an artificial intelligence platform for next-generation drug products. I am delighted to engage in this exciting frontier scientific collaboration with Triastek to jointly promote the application of digital technologies in drug formulation.”

Professor Li Xiaoling, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Triastek, stated, “Professor Ouyang has extensive expertise in computational pharmaceutics and is a pioneer in this field. Triastek is committed to applying innovative technologies in the pharmaceutical industry to build a digital pharmaceutical platform. This collaboration integrates intelligent technologies with 3D printing-based digital manufacturing, which we believe will drive the pharmaceutical industry toward greater intelligence.”