Are the drugs of the future traditional drugs or biologics?

We are constantly confronted with emerging scientific breakthroughs that make us wonder what the future holds and whether what we have now is still relevant or should be superseded.

Consider this…

Cassettes were a staple of many of our childhoods growing up in the twentieth century. Audio or video cassettes are now largely redundant in the entertainment industry, having been replaced by more complex and sophisticated memristors*, which deliver ultra-high-definition pictures and films to viewers. In our society, which values innovation, technological change is unavoidable. Similarly, the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing its own scientific revolution as new biologic drugs emerge. Are biologics the pharmaceutical industry’s equivalent of memristors? Will conventional drugs, like cassettes, fade into obscurity?

From conventional medicine to biologics: A Journey

Chemists manufacture conventional medicines in enormous factories utilizing other chemicals as the basic ingredients. Their molecules have distinct, straightforward structures. It’s a different story with biologic medicines. A biologic is created using a biological system, such as a plant, animal, or microbial cell. The majority of biologics are composed of many, extremely complicated components. Recombinant DNA technology is used to manufacture numerous biologics.

Do we comprehend what is meant by biologics?

“The product is the process” in the case of biologics. Manufacturers must guarantee product consistency, quality, and purity by making sure that the production process stays mostly the same throughout time because the completed product cannot be adequately defined in the laboratory. Contrarily, a medicine manufacturer can significantly alter the manufacturing process and evaluate the final product to confirm that it is identical to what it was prior to the manufacturing alteration.

What’s in Store for Biologics in 2031?

We seem to be entering the era of biologics, despite the fact that conventional therapeutics have dominated the pharmaceutical market since the advent of modern medicine. For instance, five of the top ten medications sold worldwide in 2021 were biologics.

Do biosimilars count as biologics too?

One of the markets for prescription products with the greatest growth is biologics. A biosimilar is a biologic product created to be strikingly similar to a reference medicine that has already received FDA approval. Biosimilars, like generic medications, are intended to be interchangeable with the biologic they aspire to replace. FDA’s approval of further interchangeable biologic drugs and biosimilar drugs may help close the gap. Patients will have more options for treatment and perhaps more affordable alternatives.

Realizing the Middle East’s Biologic Potential

Given the recent growth of biologic sales, the MEA market is still regarded as precocious in terms of the acceptance of biosimilars and is emerging as an appealing region with potential for biosimilars. Compared to traditional generics, the biosimilar market requires a distinct strategy for success. Estimating the genuine potential of biosimilar products is challenging since market realities diverge from theoretical predictions.

Looking ahead, 2020-2030 will be a watershed moment in the global healthcare arena, with an increase in biologics acceptance across multiple therapy areas and the rise of biosimilars.

*Digital memory, logic circuits, biological, and neuromorphic systems all use memristors. They are equipped with the capacity to easily and efficiently store both analogue and digital data.

Source: Pharma state – www.pharmastate.academy