- The term biopharmacology describes a field of research closely related to pharmacokinetics, sometimes called biopharmacy.
Biopharmaceutics is the field of study concerning biopharmaceuticals, medical drugs (see pharmacology) produced using biotechnology. They include proteins (including antibodies), nucleic acids (DNA, RNA or antisense oligonucleotides) and living microorganisms like virus and bacteria where the virulence of viruses and bacteria is reduced by the process of attenuation, they can be used for therapeutic or in vivo diagnostic purposes, and are produced by means other than direct extraction from a native (non-engineered) biological source. Biologics are technically a subset of biopharmaceuticals, though the latter term is more likely to be used to refer to macromolecular products like protein-based and nucleic-acid-based drugs, while the term biologic is used more often when the medical product is composed of cellular or tissue based products (e.g. stored packed Red Blood Cell units). [1]
Contents |
History
The first such substance approved for therapeutic use was biosynthetic 'human' insulin made via recombinant DNA technology. Sometimes referred to as rHI, under the trade name Humulin, was developed by Genentech, but licensed to Eli Lilly and Company, who manufactured and marketed the product starting in 1982.
Description
The large majority of biopharmaceutical products are pharmaceuticals that are derived from life forms. Small molecule drugs are not typically regarded as biopharmaceutical in nature by the industry. However members of the press and the business and financial community often extend the definition to include pharmaceuticals not created through biotechnology. That is, the term has become an often-used buzzword for a variety of different companies producing new, apparently high-tech pharmaceutical products. Research and development investment in new medicines by the biopharmaceutical industry stood at $65.2bn in 2008.[2]
Commercialization
When a biopharmaceutical is developed, the company will typically apply for a patent, which is a grant for exclusive manufacturing rights. This is the primary means by which the developer of the drug can recover the investment cost for development of the biopharmaceutical. The patent laws in the United States and Europe differ somewhat on the requirements for a patent, with the European requirements are perceived as more difficult to satisfy. The total number of patents granted for biopharmaceuticals has risen significantly since the 1970s. In 1978 the total patents granted was 30. This had climbed to 15,600 in 1995, and by 2001 there were 34,527 patent applications.[3]
Regulation
Within the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exerts strict control over the commercial distribution of a pharmaceutical product, including biopharmaceuticals. Approval can require several years of clinical trials, including trials with human volunteers. Even after the drug is released, it will still be monitored for performance and safety risks.
The manufacture of the drug must satisfy the "current Good Manufacturing Practices" regulations of the FDA. They are typically manufactured in a clean room environment with set standards for the amount of airborne particles.
Major kinds of biopharmaceuticals
- Blood factors (Factor VIII and Factor IX)
- Thrombolytic agents (tissue plasminogen activator)
- Hormones (insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, gonadotrophins)
- Haematopoietic growth factors (Erythropoietin, colony stimulating factors)
- Interferons (Interferons-α, -β, -γ)
- Interleukin-based products (Interleukin-2)
- Vaccines (Hepatitis B surface antigen)
- Monoclonal antibodies (Various)
- Additional products (tumour necrosis factor, therapeutic enzymes)
Uses
- Erythropoietin - Treatment of anaemia
- Interferon-α - Treatment of leukaemia
- Interferon-β - Treatment of multiple sclerosis
- Monoclonal antibody - Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
- Colony stimulating factors - Treatment of neutropenia
- Glucocerebrosidase - Treatment of Gaucher's disease
Large scale production
Biopharmaceuticals may be produced from microbial cells (e.g. recombinant E. coli or yeast cultures), mammalian cell lines (see cell culture) and plant cell cultures (see plant tissue culture) and moss plants in bioreactors of various configurations, including photo-bioreactors.[4]
Important issues of concern are cost of production (a low volume, high purity product is desirable) and microbial contamination (by bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, etc.). Alternative platforms of production which are being tested include whole plants (plant-made pharmaceuticals).
Transgenics
Recently, new production methods have been developed involving plants such as carrot cells, tobacco and rice seeds that are able to cost-effectively and safely produce biopharmaceuticals. A recent plant shut-down at Genzyme highlights the concern of conventional methods that use animal cells and animal components in biomanufacturing because of the risk of adventitious prion and viral pathogens of animal origin. This shut-down led to drug product shortages and helped advance the approval of a plant-produced alternative to Cerezyme.
A potentially controversial method of producing biopharmaceuticals involves [[transgenic] animals that have been genetically modified to produce drugs. One potential approach to this technology is the creation of a transgenic mammal that can produce the biopharmaceutical in its milk (or blood or urine). Once an animal is produced, typically using the pronuclear microinjection method, it becomes efficacious to use cloning technology to create additional offspring that carry the favorable modified genome.[5]| issue=10 }}</ref> The first such drug manufactured from the milk of a genetically-modified goat was ATryn, but marketing permission was blocked by the European Medicines Agency in February 2006.[6] This decision was reversed in June 2006 and approval was given August 2006.[7]
See also
- Biologics
- Genetic engineering
- List of recombinant proteins
- List of pharmaceutical companies
- Nanobiopharmaceutics
- Pharming (genetics)
- Medical science liaison
References
- ^ Walsh, Gary. Biopharmaceuticals: Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ISBN 978-0-470-84326-0.
- ^ BriskFox Financial. "Biopharmaceutical sector sees rising R&D despite credit crunch, finds analysis". Retrieved 2009-03-11.
- ^ Luke Foster. "Patenting in the Biopharmaceutical Industry—comparing the US with Europe". Archived from the original on 2006-03-16. Retrieved 2006-06-23.
- ^ Eva L. Decker und Ralf Reski (2008): Current achievements in the production of complex biopharmaceuticals with moss bioreactor. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering 31, 3-9. doi:10.1007/s00449-007-0151-y
- ^ {{cite journal
- ^ Phillip B. C. Jones. "European Regulators Curdle Plans for Goat Milk Human Antithrombin". Retrieved 2006-06-23.
- ^ "Go-ahead for 'pharmed' goat drug". BBC News. 2006-06-02. Retrieved 2006-10-25.