Medicamentos biotecnológicos; from dream to reality

Abstract

In the last 20 years, biotechnological medicinal products have had an increasing role in the treatment of many conditions. These products have several advantages over other biological medicinal products such as potential availability in large quantities, an excellent safety record regarding transmission of viruses or other pathogens and the possibility to have modified molecules or combinations of parts from different molecules to achieve a different specificity or affinity, pharmacokinetic profile or reduced immunogenicity. Biotech medicines are mainly for hospital use and the impact of their introduction is determined by some of their characteristics such as large availability and specificity. However, in some cases, high expectations about their efficacy have not been reached and even their benefit can be questioned considering the toxicity associated with their use. The production process and control of biotech medicines is expensive and complex, therefore, their high price and widespread use is increasingly challenging for healthcare systems.