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Three‐dimensional (3D) printing via vat photopolymerization is transforming the manufacturing paradigms of biomedical devices, offering tremendous advantages for the production of customized advanced drug delivery systems. However, the existing commercial inks often lack the ability to simultaneously provide elasticity, strength, and biodegradability. Herein, photopolymerizable inks based on poly(β‐aminoester) diacrylates and N‐vinyl pyrrolidone are used to address these limitations. These biodegradable polymers enable the digital light processing 3D printing of elastomers with adjustable elongation at break (103–762%), stress at failure (0.2–8.3 MPa), and hydrolysis rates ranging from 25 min to 80 days. The authors are able to synthesize a soft polymer that possess properties akin to natural latex, which can enhance its elastic modulus when subjected to high strains. It can withstand 762% stretch with a maximum strength of 8.3 MPa. In addition, this polymer demonstrates cytocompatibility and unique biodegradation properties under simulated gastrointestinal conditions (within hours at pH 6.8). By utilizing this elastomer, a prototype of an expandable oral drug delivery device that has the ability to degrade within the average transit time in the jejunum is manufactured. This study paves the way to leverage vat photopolymerization 3D printing in the creation of complex prototypes of biomedical devices where strength, elasticity and biodegradability are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral peptide delivery is trending again. Among the possible reasons are the recent approvals of two oral peptide formulations, which represent a huge stride in the field. For the first time, gastrointestinal (GI) permeation enhancers (PEs) are leveraged to overcome the main limitation of oral peptide delivery-low permeability through the intestinal epithelium. Despite some success, the application of current PEs, such as salcaprozate sodium (SNAC), sodium caprylate (C8), and sodium caprate (C10), is generally resulting in relatively low oral bioavailabilities (BAs)-even for carefully selected therapeutics. With several hundred peptide-based drugs presently in the pipeline, there is a huge unmet need for more effective PEs. Aiming to provide useful insights for the development of novel PEs, this review summarizes the biological hurdles to oral peptide delivery with special emphasis on the epithelial barrier. It describes the concepts and action modes of PEs and mentions possible new targets. It further states the benchmark that is set by current PEs, while critically assessing and evaluating emerging PEs regarding translatability, safety, and efficacy. Additionally, examples of novel PEs under preclinical and clinical evaluation and future directions are discussed., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)