The complexity of treatment with biological drugs requires the active participation of the patient, good family support, the participation of various experts or a team approach to solving health problems. Pharmacists also play an important role, as we are trained to provide effective advice on the correct and safe use of medicines, their interaction, the appropriateness of adding food supplements and the principles of a healthy lifestyle.
What is a biological medicine?
A biological medicine is a medicine made or obtained from living cells. In contrast, drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid or paracetamol are produced by chemical synthesis. Thus produced, synthetic, chemical drugs are small, simple molecules, in contrast, the structures of biological drugs are very complex.
-MONOCLONE ANTIBODY
-PARACETAMOL
Biological drugs are divided into:
1.traditional biological medicines obtained by isolation from plants, animals and human blood and by classical biotechnology (antibiotics, steroids),
2.modern biological drugs obtained by recombinant DNA, modern cell biology and chemical synthesis on solid carriers (part of monoclonal antibodies, recombinant biological drugs).
One of the reasons for the effectiveness of biological drugs is that their active ingredients act in a targeted manner, which means that they do not act on non-target tissues if they do not contain the same signaling molecules as the target tissue. This increases the chance that the drugs have the desired effect to treat the disease for which they are used.
Biologic drugs have helped change the lives of millions of patients with many disabling and life-threatening diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and skin diseases, e.g. psoriasis.
Seven years for one drug
The turning point for the development of biological drugs was made possible by the discovery of the composition of DNA in 1953 and the technology of recombinant DNA, by which a part of DNA can be isolated, e.g. from human cells, modify it and insert it as some sort of record into a bacterial or human cell. It thus obtains new genetic information and begins to produce the desired protein - a biological active ingredient. The first such drug in the world was human insulin, a drug used to treat diabetes, in 1982. On average, it takes up to nine months from the preparation of the first cell culture to the formation of the raw biological active ingredient. The entire development from the first cell culture to the first batch of the biological active ingredient takes up to seven years.
How do they work and in for which diseases are they used?
Biological drugs are proteins that act differently after being taken into the body. Biologics also act as inhibitors of "harmful" proteins or cells in the body that can cause serious illness. This is how drugs used to treat cancer or to slow the spread of cancer work, as well as for chronic inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. These are monoclonal antibodies that, when ingested, bind to 'harmful' proteins or cells, causing the immune system to recognize them as foreign, break them down and destroy them. This removes one of the causes of the growth of cancerous tissue from the body, as well as removing proteins that cause inflammation.
Biologics are introduced when standard therapy does not alleviate the disease or cause too many side effects. They are often prescribed in combination with classic basic medications. The type and method of treatment with a biological medicine is often decided by a medical commission (council). Dosage is strictly controlled, the doctor decides on his scheme based on body weight, organ function, expression of side effects and whether it is the first dose or a maintenance dose given over a period of time. The success of treatment varies from individual to individual, as not all biological drugs are suitable for everyone - their effectiveness is related to the stage of disease progression, the physiological condition of the patient and his genetic make-up.
What side effects may occur when using biologics medicines?
The most common side effect of a biologic is a local reaction at the injection site. Due to the immune response, the next intake can cause an adverse allergic reaction.
During treatment, susceptibility to infections (bacterial, fungal and viral infections, from pneumonia to skin and soft tissue infections, urinary tract infections,) increases, especially in the first year. If fever occurs during treatment with biologics, the patient should consult a physician immediately. In rare cases, treatment with biologics can lead to more serious complications; for example, impaired heart muscle function, lung and neurological diseases. They can affect the functioning of the liver, so we monitor their function with blood tests.
Due to the shorter duration of use (compared to conventional drugs), not all of their side effects are known, especially long-term ones. Careful monitoring and detection of possible new adverse reactions are required during treatment and should be carefully reported. If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
The future of biological treatment at home
Modern biologics are the therapies of the future, as some, in addition to efficacy and safety, allow patients to apply them at home. Because patients do not need to go to a healthcare facility, life is much easier, especially for chronic patients, such as people with multiple sclerosis - but they need appropriate support from medical staff and adjustments to the healthcare system.
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@Kaya
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