Biopharmaceuticals Flashcards
What are biological therapeutic products (2)
- any protein, virus, vaccine, blood product, or
analogous product used for prevention,
cure, or diagnosis of human disease. - e.g. blood-derived clotting factors, plasma & platelets
What are pharmaceutical biotechnology products (2)
- any therapeutic or diagnostic product produced in full or in part by a biotechnological mean
- e.g. beta-lactams, tetracyclines & macrolides
What are biopharmaceuticals (2)
- a protein or nucleic acid-based therapeutics
and/or diagnostic produced by a genetically
engineered organisms by recombinant DNA
technology. - e.g. monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, oligonucleotides
What are the classes of biopharmaceutics (10)
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Erythropoietin
- Vaccines
- Insulin
- Interferon
- Human growth hormones
- Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
- Interleukin-based products
- Tumour necrosis factor
- Blood factors
What are the therapeutic areas of biopharmaceutics (6)
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Diabetes
- Oncology
- Cardiovascular
- and others.
When preparing and dispensing biotechnology products, what is important that the patient understands (6)
- use
- dosage regimen
- potential adverse effects
- proper storage and handling
- administration protocol
- provide training for patients and/or caregivers
CPD (4)
- knowledge of biotechnology tools
- understand the therapeutic aspects of biopharmaceuticals
- understand the side effects and patient counselling info
- familiarity with handling/storing/preparing biopharmaceuticals
What does the understanding of biotechnology tools (principles and applications) mean (4)
- understanding of recombinant DNA technology
- familiarity with protein chemistry
- awareness of drug delivery systems exploited for the administration of
biotech drugs - knowledge of immunology and immune response
How can the awareness of drug delivery systems be exploited for the administration of biotech drugs (4)
- Textbooks
- Manufacturer websites
- GPC
- Regulatory bodies (EMEA)
What are the issues associated with biopharmaceutics (5)
- Chemical nature
- immunogenicity & side effects
- ADME
- Production
- Storage & handling
What are the different levels of structure of biopharmaceuticals (6)
- Biopharmaceuticals = proteins
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
- Quaternary
- Peptide bonds are present in endogenous proteins and substrates of peptidases.
What is active principle degradation (1)
- careless exposure to uncontrolled
environmental conditions (pH, temperature,
light, oxygen, heavy metal ions, humidity) can
lead to product loss and reduced activity
What are sterility issues (1)
accidental breakage of the packing
material can lead to contamination, a
the big caveat for drugs administered by
parenteral route
How are biopharmaceuticals handled in terms of reconstituting the solutions (3)
- In hospitals or speciality pharmacies, the biopharmaceutical agent is prepared by the pharmacist.
- often, the drug is stored as a freeze-dried powder
- the pharmacist must then reconstitute the solution by dissolving the powder in an appropriate vehicle (saline, deionised water, solution with stabilisers and/or other excipients)
What are the rules for reconstituting the solutions of biopharmaceuticals (4)
- common excipients are anti-caking agents, anti-adherent (proteins), electrolytes (isotonic)
- complete dissolution of the drug (slow addition of the vehicle)
- avoid shaking the solutions (foaming)
reconstitute immediately before the administration - sterility must be ensured during the whole process