Biologic drugs provide more treatment options for patients who have serious health conditions or who have previously had no available treatment options. Biologics are produced from living organisms but just like conventional drugs, all biologic drugs and biosimilars must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness. The most well know biologic is the brand name drug Humira, active ingredient adalimumab, used for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and ankylosing spondylitis. But what is a biologic drug? Let’s answer this question for you and find out more.
What is a biologic drug?
Biologics or biological medicines originate from living cells, such as humans, animals, or microorganisms using biotechnology, whereas chemically derived drugs are created in laboratories. Chemically derived or traditional drugs are described as small molecule drugs. Biologic drugs on the other hand are much larger in size, containing more complex molecules, making them challenging and costly to make. The growth of the cells in biologic medications can take several weeks and requires constant monitoring. The protein that makes up the drug is extracted and purified until the final biologic drug is obtained.
Biological products include a wide range of products including:
Vaccines
Blood components
Gene therapy
Tissues
Proteins, like monoclonal antibodies and cell signaling proteins
The manufacturing process of biological drugs makes it is impossible to guarantee that each batch of a biologic drug will be identical to the last, which means every dose of a biologic medicine has slight variations.
What conditions can biological medications treat?
Biologic therapies can be used to treat a number of different conditions such as:
The content on this website is intended for information purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. The information on this website should not be relied upon and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always speak to your doctor regarding the risks and benefits of any treatment.