Fusidic Acid-Loaded Wound Dressing Films Using 3D Printing Technology with a Quality by Design Approach

Purpose: This study aimed to develop 3D-printed fusidic-acid (FA)-loaded films for dermal wound treatment and evaluate their performance. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first films of this specific composition developed within a Quality by Design (QbD) framework. Methods: The films were successfully fabricated using a 3D printing technique, incorporating FA as the antibacterial agent along with hyaluronic acid, sodium alginate (NaAlg), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and glycerin. PVA (3–5%) and NaAlg (0.5–0.75%) were identified as critical material attributes and systematically evaluated using the QbD approach. The films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, folding endurance, thickness, weight, pH, moisture content, mechanical properties, moisture absorption, in vitro drug release, drug content, antimicrobial activity, MTT cytotoxicity assay, in vitro scratch assay, and stability studies. Results: FA content ranged from 98.7 ± 0.6% to 101.4 ± 0.5%. Drug release was nearly complete within approximately 1 h, with similar release profiles observed across all films. Formulations F3 and F4 (containing 5% PVA) were identified as optimal due to their high tensile strength (2.381 ± 0.547 and 2.831 ± 0.058 MPa, respectively), elongation at break (55.225 ± 1.353% and 29.889 ± 4.194%, respectively), and favorable MTT assay results; therefore, they were selected for stability and scratch assay studies. All four FA-loaded films exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and E. hirae, but not against E. coli or P. aeruginosa. Scratch assay results demonstrated that both F3 and F4 films achieved approximately 20% higher wound closure at 48 h. Stability studies indicated that 4 ± 1 °C is suitable for storage. Conclusion: The successfully developed FA-loaded 3D-printed films show strong potential as effective wound dressing systems, offering enhanced performance in wound healing applications.