--- title: First 3D Printed Pill Approved by FDA description: The medication is for seizure sufferers who can't swallow large tablets. canonical: https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-04T19:27:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T09:53:14.963Z article:section: Health og:title: U.S. Approves First 3D Printed Pill og:description: This puts the FDA on track to approve more 3D printed tablets in the future. og:url: https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a422d42ad09cde1/69885dd5f887dc66ece91b48/3d-pill.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1846 og:image:height: 1038 og:image:alt: Spritam og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: U.S. Approves First 3D Printed Pill twitter:description: This puts the FDA on track to approve more 3D printed tablets in the future. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a422d42ad09cde1/69885dd5f887dc66ece91b48/3d-pill.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # U.S. Approves First 3D Printed Pill > Sponsored content. 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AP  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Aug 4, 2015 7:27 PM UTC The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first 3D printed pill. The medicine, Spritam (levetiracetam), helps to treat epilepsy. Previous levetiracetam tablets did not dissolve easily, but the new version boasts porous layers that make it easily dissolvable, according to a [press release](https://www.aprecia.com/pdf/2015%5F08%5F03%5FSpritam%5FFDA%5FApproval%5FPress%5FRelease.pdf) from the company, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals. A spokesperson for the FDA [confirmed to the Associated Press](http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/04/fda-approves-first-3-d-printed-prescription-pill.html) that Spritam is the first 3D printed prescription tablet to gain approval. Seizure medication is often too large and difficult to swallow—particularly for the elderly and children—making advances in 3D printing key for epileptics and other who suffer from seizures, according to the company. “By combining 3DP technology with a highly-prescribed epilepsy treatment, SPRITAM is designed to fill a need for patients who struggle with their current medication experience,” said Don Wetherhold, Chief Executive Officer of Aprecia. The pill would be the latest in a series of healthcare products that utilize 3D printing, including jaw replicas, dental implants, and hip replacements. Scientists are currently [working to develop](http://qz.com/471030/the-fda-has-approved-the-first-drug-made-by-a-3d-printer/) 3D printed tracheas and bones, ears, kidneys, and skin. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/"},"headline":"U.S. Approves First 3D Printed Pill","datePublished":"2015-08-04T19:27:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T09:53:14.963Z","description":"The pill is better for children and elderly users who find it difficult to swallow large tablets","url":"https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/","keywords":["Public Health","Drugs","Pharmaceuticals","FDA","3D printing","epilepsy"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a422d42ad09cde1/69885dd5f887dc66ece91b48/3d-pill.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a422d42ad09cde1/69885dd5f887dc66ece91b48/3d-pill.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Spritam","caption":"Spritam","creditText":"AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/public-health/","name":"Public Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3984025/fda-3d-printed-pill/","name":"U.S. Approves First 3D Printed Pill"}}]}] ```