Biological medicines

The complexity of biological drug treatment necessitates active patient participation, good family support, the participation of various experts, or a team approach to solving health problems.

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Pharmacists also play an important role because we are trained to provide effective advice on the correct and safe use of medications, their interactions, the appropriateness of adding food supplements, and the principles of a healthy lifestyle.

What does "biologic medicine" mean?

A biological medicine is one that is created from living cells or obtained through them. Drugs like acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol, however, are created through chemical synthesis. Contrary to the complex structures of biological drugs, thus produced synthetic, chemical drugs are small, simple molecules.

There are two categories of biological drugs:

• Traditional biological medicines
  Traditional biological medicines medications made from plants (Ginseng, ginger), animals (Antitoxins (such as to treat a snakebite), human blood, and traditional biotechnology.
  

  
  
  
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• Modern biological drugs
  Modern biological drugs produced on solid carriers using recombinant DNA, contemporary cell biology, and chemical synthesis (part of monoclonal antibodies, recombinant biological drugs).

The targeted action of biological drugs' active ingredients, which prevents them from acting on non-target tissues unless those tissues share the same signaling molecules as the target tissue, is one of the factors contributing to their effectiveness. This raises the likelihood that the medications will work as intended to treat the illness for which they are prescribed.

Millions of patients with a variety of debilitating and fatal diseases, including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and skin conditions like psoriasis, have seen a significant improvement in their quality of life thanks to biologic drugs.

Seven years for one drug

The discovery of the composition of DNA in 1953, as well as the technique of recombinant DNA, enabled the production of biological therapies by isolating a portion of DNA, for example, from human cells, modifying it, and inserting it as some form of record into a bacterial or human cell. As a result, it acquires new genetic information and starts to make the desired protein, which is a biologically active component. Human insulin, a medication used to treat diabetes, became the first such medication in the world in 1982. From the first cell culture's preparation to the creation of the raw biological active ingredient, it can take up to nine months on average. Up to seven years are required for the entire development process from the initial cell culture to the first batch of the biological active ingredient.

What diseases are treated with them, and how do they function?
Biological medicines are proteins that change their behavior after they enter the body. Biologics also function as inhibitors of "harmful" proteins or cells in the body, which can lead to significant sickness. This is how medications used to cure cancer or prevent its spread, as well as those used to treat chronic inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis, function. These are monoclonal antibodies that attach to 'dangerous' proteins or cells after being swallowed, leading the immune system to detect them as alien, break them down, and destroy them. This eliminates one of the sources of malignant tissue development from the body, as well as proteins that induce inflammation.

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When standard treatment is ineffective or has too many side effects, biologics are introduced. They are frequently prescribed in conjunction with traditional, non-prescription drugs. A medical commission frequently decides the type and course of treatment with a biological medicine (council). The dosage is very strictly regulated; the doctor chooses his plan based on the patient's weight, organ function, the manifestation of side effects, and whether it is the first dose or a maintenance dose given over time. The effectiveness of treatment varies from patient to patient because not all biological drugs are appropriate for everyone. Instead, it depends on the patient's physiological state, genetic makeup, and stage of the disease's progression.

What negative effects could biologic medications cause?

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A local reaction at the injection site is the most frequent negative effect of a biological medicine. A negative allergic reaction could result from the subsequent intake because of the immune response.

Especially in the first year of treatment, patients are more susceptible to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, including skin and soft tissue infections, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia. The patient should see a doctor right away if fever develops while receiving biologic treatment. Biologics may, in rare circumstances, cause more severe side effects, such as neurological and lung diseases, impaired heart muscle function, and others. Blood tests are used to check their function because they can affect how the liver functions.

Not all of their side effects, particularly long-term ones, are known as a result of their shorter duration of use (in comparison to conventional drugs). During treatment, it is essential to carefully monitor patients and look for any potential new adverse reactions. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any negative effects you encounter.

Future of biological home treatment

Future therapies will be based on modern biologics because some of them are safe and effective, and some even let patients use them at home. Life is much easier because patients don't need to go to a hospital, especially for chronic patients like those with multiple sclerosis. However, they still require the proper support from medical professionals and modifications to the healthcare system.