What is an example of a biological drug?

A biological drug is typically defined as a product that is produced from living organisms or contains components of living organisms. This category includes a variety of products such as vaccines, blood components, allergenics, gene therapies, and tissues.

Monoclonal antibodies, used in the treatment of certain cancers, fall under this definition as they are lab-engineered molecules designed to target specific antigens on cancer cells. They are produced using living cells and are part of a larger class of biologics. These antibodies can effectively mark cancer cells for destruction by the immune system or can deliver cytotoxic agents directly to the cancer cells.

Insulin is also a biological drug, but it is produced using recombinant DNA technology and is primarily used for diabetes management, providing essential therapy to control blood glucose levels. Despite this, it is often considered separately in discussions of biologics because it is primarily a hormone rather than an antibody-based therapeutic.

Synthetic opioids are chemically manufactured analgesics and do not qualify as biological drugs, as they are not derived from living organisms. Similarly, antibiotics are typically chemically synthesized or derived from fungi or bacteria, but they do not fit the criteria of biological drugs in the same way monoclonal antibodies and insulin do.

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