Biologic medicine
Biologics are drugs made from natural systems such as humans, animals, or microorganisms. Their complexity allows them to be used to treat a variety of conditions for which no other treatment exists.
What Is a Biosimilar?
A biosimilar drug is a drug that is very similar to other biological drugs. Companies can market approved biosimilars after the expiry of the market protection period of the reference drug. Due to the natural variability of the biological source and the manufacturing process unique to each manufacturer, slight differences occur between the biosimilar and its reference drug. Strict controls are always in place during production to ensure that minor differences do not affect how the drug works or how safe it is. Therefore, these differences are not clinically meaningful in terms of safety and efficacy.