Biologics present a world of possibilities beyond pharmaceuticals. Biologics,
instead of being synthesized using chemical reactions, are derived from human
or animal proteins. They are engineered to support the body's natural immune
system and treat, prevent, or cure illnesses. Vaccines and insulin are
long-established examples of biological products. Only in the last couple of
decades has biologics development expanded to target debilitating diseases
across a variety of therapy areas.
While biologics offer profound promise, they are extremely complex medications
to produce and require several years of research and development before a
product is approved for patient use. Additionally, manufacturing a single vial
of product can take several months. Despite long development cycles, biologics
remains a maturing research field that offers tremendous promise for the
treatment and prevention of numerous illnesses.
The cutting-edge nature of biologics
Recombinant DNA and various cell therapy techniques are at the cutting edge of
biologics research and development. Medications that are produced by
recombinant DNA technology are usually:
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Substances that are almost identical to key signaling proteins in the body
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Monoclonal antibodies
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Receptor constructs, or fusion proteins
These types of biologics have had a profound impact on medical fields such as
oncology, rheumatology, neurology, cardiology, and gastroenterology, among
others. Biologics have added several therapeutic options for major diseases
within these disciplines, many of which were previously untreatable. MedImmune
is proud to spearhead this revolution in healthcare and is committed to leading
the way to future biotechnological advances.