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Biologics are drugs and treatments that derive
from molecules created in cells.
What are Biologics?
Biologics also include other protein-based treatments.
Enzymatic proteins are used for treatment of certain disorders,
such as insulin in the case of diabetes, or asparaginase for
leukemia. They might also refer to biological components used
in pharmaceutical development, such as antigens developed as
vaccine targets.
Finally, it's important to note that biologics are not limited
to proteins. One example is gene therapy, where viral vectors
deliver DNA or RNA to specific cell types with the aim to treat a
wide range of diseases and disorders, including hemophilia and
muscular dystrophy. Natural products derived from cells are
another type of non-protein biologic. A popular example of this
is Botox, a toxin derived from Clostridium botulinum.
Some of the most common biologics treatments are
antibodies – Humira (adalimumab) for autoimmune
diseases or Herceptin (trastuzumab) for breast cancer
are name brands that even non-researchers recognize.
While monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are still the
mainstay of the biologics industry, they are being
engineered for higher potency and novel mechanisms
of action in the forms of antibody-drug conjugates
(ADCs) and bi-specific antibody derivatives.
