3-D Printed Creation Combines Multiple Vitamins Into One Pill

BOSTON (CBS) – Sales of vitamins and supplements in the United States topped $27 billion last year. It's a big market with lots of choices.

But a Massachusetts Institute of Technology start-up wants to switch out that handful of pills you may be taking with just one simple high-tech dose.

"I personally don't know what supplements I should be taking or what combinations would be good for me," Darren Thomason of Cambridge told WBZ-TV.

The 27-year-old said that looking at store shelves crammed with options only add to his confusion, saying "it's such a complicated thing to think about."

That's why Thomason signed up to try a 3-D printed pill created by a team of fellow MIT students.

"We put it all within one pill. You just have to take it in the morning and that's all you need," explained Tiffany Kuo of Multiply Labs.

The Multiply Pill is one personalized daily dose packed with up to a dozen vitamins or supplements.

"The requirement has been for people to customize their lives around taking pills. And for the first time, we actually allow people to customize their pills based around their life," said Joe Wilson, another member of the Multiply Labs team.

Inside the pill there can be several smaller compartments. The spaces are filled with different supplements or combination of supplements. The thickness of the wall determines when the contents get released over the course of a day.

"There's no fillers. It's just literally the ingredients itself so that allows us to pack more into a pill," said Wilson.

Multiply Labs will customize a pill based on your health and energy needs. Or customers can create their own combination of time-released vitamins and minerals. Caffeine is also a popular choice offered by the company.

The addition of caffeine made a difference for Thomason.

"I feel like I got a little more focus and a little more energy to push through to the end of the day, through that afternoon slump," Thomason said.

The customized pills cost $50/month. Multiply Labs is taking pre-orders now and they hope to start shipping next spring.

Keep in mind, not all supplements are necessary and some can be harmful. So be sure to check with your doctor before starting a new routine.