Context:
UKbased pharma giant AstraZeneca has announced plans to restructure its biopharma unit to concentrate on nextgeneration therapeutics.
Biopharmaceutical
A biopharmaceutical is a pharmaceutical drug that is made from biological sources, such as humans, animals, plants, or microorganisms. They are also known as biologics or biological medical products.
General Characteristics of Biopharmaceuticals
- Composed of chemicals and synthetic processes.
- More complex and larger than small molecule drugs.
- Vaccines, blood components, somatic cells, gene therapy, tissue, and recombinant therapeutic proteins.
- Uses biotechnology in development and manufacturing.
- It looks toward maximizing therapeutic benefits and to minimizing treatment-related toxicity.
Biologics
- Made up of chemicals and synthetics.
- More complex and larger than small molecule drugs.
- It includes vaccines, blood components, somatic cells, gene therapy, tissue, and recombinant therapeutic proteins.
- It is developed and manufactured using biotechnology.
- It is aimed at maximizing therapeutic benefits while minimizing toxicity during treatment.
