Biologic Drugs and Biosimilars

What are biologic drugs? What about biosimilars? In a previous video we compared brand name and generic drugs. ( • Is There a Difference ... ) But we kind of left out a major player in the world of medicines; biologic drugs. These complicated little guys probably deserve a video all to themselves. Call them what you will biologics, biotherapeutic medicines, or biopharmaceuticals they're topic of this week's HealthCare triage.
We had tons of help from Healthcare Triage intern Rachel Hoffman on this episode!
Those of you who want to read more can go here: theincidentaleconomist.com/wor...
John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Mark Olsen -- Graphics
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[@Gaetano.94]

Been on biologics for almost 20 years now. I would be dead without them

[@tymo7777]

I felt like this episode was exceptionally technical and I loved it.

[@RachelVanWest]

Fantastic video explaining the complexities of biosimilars. This is awesome!!!!

[@hollowbones3515]

love it. I've worked in the biologics making industry and this is just fascinating stuff!

[@healthcaretriage]

FYI We're doing a LIVE Show tomorrow. You can get your questions in here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5DQY59rbb1rqtk. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[@kujmous]

Just technical enough! Excellently written and presented.

[@MohammedAli-sj1uv]

Really great, I'm a biosimilar product specialist and the way you presented the information is amazing.... thanks and keep up...

[@stephanie2905]

As someone who specializes in Biosimilar products what are your thoughts on the the mandatory government switches that are happening in North America, and do you think it's ethical to take someone off of an effective biologic to be put on Biosimilars?

[@bookworm2007]

Just got started on Humira, would rather watch this than a branded video. Thanks!

[@evilcam]

The "Elvis Lip" was strong in Dr Carroll in this episode. Can't unsee. On topic: I did not even know Biosimilars was even a thing. So thanks for both showing me that they exist, and explaining what they do, and making me embarrassed that I totally missed them, even though I am a pretty consistent pharmacology nerd.

[@OurayTheOwl]

+evilcam why do you do this, i cant stop looking for it...the lip bothers me now

[@DbN-dftba]

Oh my god though....Cannot not see it now.

[@AzumaTsumaru]

I had a question, you answered and you were entertaining while doing it. I'm subscribing :)

[@Michele8340]

I have Juvenile Arthritis and I'm on a TnF blocker, I saw just how much they can cost for those who live in America, up to nearly a grand for one injection, which is needed every week. I'm lucky to not have to pay for my medication

[@baconlamancha]

+Michelle Ginnane Filgrastim is also absurdly expensive without insurance, as are the biosimilars (To the point that insurances typically dont have a preference over which is given).

[@Michele8340]

That sounds awful! I hope it works well for you though! And I hope that your next president can hopefully make free healthcare a reality Even where I'm from people arent as lucky as me and have chronic conditions that they can't afford to medicate, no where's perfect I guess

[@baconlamancha]

It works quite well. I end up being neutropenic occasionally due to chemotherapy and when my white blood cell count is low the meds completely fix that. I'm incredibly sensitive to it apparently, getting as much benefit from a single shot as some get from 3

[@Michele8340]

+baconlamancha aw I'm glad, I hope that your health gets better in the foreseeable future, if possible:)

[@MackenziesAnimationCorner]

I live in America and am also on TnF blockers. They cost $4000 a month (that's only 2 injections) without my insurance and even with my insurance they're about $500. Thank God I found a coupon that covers most of that $500, making it only $5. Otherwise I guess I'd just suffer because there's no way I could make those kind of payments.

[@666ndr]

Behold, the rare unironic "thanks Obama"

[@akeldama09]

Ew

[@papershoes6284]

I've been on a biologic since 2001

[@CIRCLEOF4TRESS]

This was an awesome video.

[@jennyromero4924]

Hi Dr. Carroll! I was wondering if HCT could do book reviews? I'm currently reading "Healthcare, Guaranteed" and I would like to hear your perspective on it.

[@davidraff6171]

I know that biologics are implicated in the TPP, something to do with patent duration. What impact would these changes have if introduced?

[@netsquall]

Yay HCT is back :D

[@MicroBlogganism]

Good video! Thanks!

[@InorganicVegan]

Can you start a series rebuking Dr. Oz?

[@Tryo707]

+Diana, the Inorganic Vegan This would be so well received. I really hope it happens.

[@Kazooga-lp5ql]

+Diana, the Inorganic Vegan no because everybody knows supplements are pointless

[@InorganicVegan]

Kazooga 1234 First of all, obviously not everyone since he has a huge audience, but he also makes claims against GMO food/vaccines and also promotes organic food for fear-mongering health reasons. He needs to be put in his place.

[@Tryo707]

Kazooga 1234 Therapy. Invest in some.

[@Kazooga-lp5ql]

Tryo707 what that makes 0 sense since they are useless you are stupid

[@KaizerRemix]

hearing you say filgastrim not filgrastim drove me crazy. Interestingly, here in the UK biologics/biosimilars are one of the few things where all products have a distinct brand name (filgrastim for instance goes be Nivestim, Neupogen Zarzio and others). Probably a regulatory requirement for adverse event recording reasons, but interesting none the less.

[@TakeWalker]

+KaizerRemix And yet it's spelled both ways in the various graphics. SOMEBODY got SOMETHING wrong. :B

[@emperorxenu519]

You touched on it, but only barely. Unlike generic vs. brand name molecular drugs, in the case of biologics, it should be possible for a patient to have an inadequate response or adverse reaction to one biosimilar vs. another, right?

[@jmarch_503]

You guys are fair

[@537monster]

Can you do something on nootropics?

[@flamingos2]

How about interleukin 6 blockers?

[@hollystone9875]

I help make biologics! They're cool. (I work at Bristol-Myers Squibb.)

[@aprilk1995]

Holly Stone thank you for the work you do. It means so much to people like me with Autoimmune diseases 💗

[@anthonya.3294]

I take a TnF blocker and it's very expensive..I'm going to get rich so I can pay for them myself$$$ Would like to thank the the ppl.who make the med.A Corp. in California..the corps name begins with a Z. Thanks.

[@dbe471]

I get that most biosimilars would be hard to reverse engineer. But what about insulin? There's no engineer step. We know exactly what it is and how to make it. Why it is still so expensive and sold by a relatively few number of manufacturers?

[@aaronmorein400]

Does marijuana cause cognitive impairment? If so, is it in varying degrees and is it temporary? It is difficult to find trustworthy, unbiased information about properly designed studies or the lack thereof. Thanks!

[@dangp7]

+Aaron Morein He did a video a while back.

[@aaronmorein400]

He did one regarding physical effects, not neurological ones.

[@wmdkitty]

Only if you smoke in large quantities, and it's temporary.

[@victoriap2519]

It should be opposite - it is generic or branded chemically synthesized drugs should follow the possibilities of biosimilas

[@ZombieX13]

Laws: an opinion with a gun.

[@InorganicVegan]

Europe has milder regulations? Holy shit.

[@JunSian1001]

+Diana, the Inorganic Vegan Not exactly. Europe just has the regulations out way earlier than the states. "When does the United States finally realise a law which will abbreviate the approval pathway for biosimilars? That will be the Biologic Price Competition Act, which is part of the Affordable Care Act (signed into law in March 2010)."

[@InorganicVegan]

+Jun Sian Lee Well, the US still has harsher regulations on making biosimilars.

[@camcat26]

+Diana, the Inorganic Vegan Source?

[@InorganicVegan]

camcat26 The video above. Plus, look at how much it costs to make these in the US vs Europe, and that right there would show you how the regulations work

[@camcat26]

*facepalm* No, that has to do with economic differences. European countries are known for having harsher regulations in nutrition compared to the US.

[@LIVINGWITHBIPOLARDISORDER]

Synthetic drugs will never ever ever cure

[@symbolxchannel]

Is it filgastrim or filgrastim? It's written filgrastim, but you pronounce it "filgastrim"...

[@joanneortiz3251]

Yeah the USA sucks. We need the FDA but it needs to be drastically scaled back.

[@markobabic487]

Horrific video. Most of this is not accurately represented and important info is omitted to get a real view of the issue.

[@Tcarney1995]

Nice until the political jab