Biologics

Biologics are a novel class of pharmaceutical products. Unlike traditional small-molecule drugs, which are chemically synthesized, biologics are produced through complex biotechnological processes using living cells, bacteria, yeast, or animal and human cells.

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• Examples:

  Common examples include vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, gene therapies, and stem cell therapies. 

• Complexity:

  Biologics are often complex mixtures of molecules, making them harder to manufacture and characterize compared to traditional small molecule drugs. 

• Manufacturing:

  They are typically produced using biotechnology methods, such as recombinant DNA technology. 

• Regulatory Requirements:

  Biologics have different regulatory requirements than traditional drugs due to their complex nature. 

• Therapeutic Applications:

  Biologics are used to treat a wide range of diseases and conditions, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases. 

• Biosimilars:

  Biosimilars are similar to existing biologic drugs, but are not exact copies and have their own regulatory pathways

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How Do Biologics Treat My Asthma?

Asthma biologics work by disrupting cells or blocking specific molecules that trigger inflammation.

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1. Biologics treat your asthma by disrupting the specific cells or blocking specific molecules that swell your airways after exposure to certain triggers. Trigger exposure causes the molecules in your immune system to work together to create swelling in your airways. 2. Biologics attach to these molecules and prevent them from causing inflammation and symptoms.        3. Different sets of molecules are responsible for certain types of immune reactions. Researchers have discovered which molecules are most active in the immune systems of people with moderate-to-severe asthma. This means that your healthcare provider might be able to prescribe a biologic that specifically treats your asthma symptoms. This is known as personalized medicine.

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Biologics have revolutionized treatment in fields such as oncology, rheumatology, pulmonology, and infectious diseases, offering highly targeted and effective therapeutic options for patients with conditions that were previously difficult to treat.

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Some of the Biologics examples used at U-Breathe are listed below.

 

Click on the biologic link to find out more information.