Biotechnology is increasingly regarded as an important reservoir for the development of new and innovative, but generally expensive, pharmaceuticals. At the same time, concerns about cost containment have triggered a keen interest in evaluating and comparing the values of diverse health care interventions. In this paper we studied the process of assessment and diffusion of biotechnology drugs by studying three cases, i.e. nebacumab, colony stimulating factors and recombinant human growth hormone. These cases are evaluated in a standardised format, concerning safety, efficacy, cost-effectiveness and ethical, legal and social issues. Many factors that determine the fate of a biotechnology drug seemed to be similar to those of 'classical' drugs. The definition and measurement of clinically relevant outcomes has been identified as a key factor in the assessment process. Another important issue is the relatively small population for the primary indications of biotechnology drugs and the subsequent process of broadening of indications. Paradoxically, the current trend towards evidence-based medicine means that we will increasingly have to make decisions based on 'incomplete' knowledge'.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8510(99)00017-2 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) as a potential auxiliary biomarker for predicting adaptability to anti-HER2 drug treatment in breast cancer patients.
Biomark Res
January 2025
Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Background: Up to 23% of breast cancer patients recurred within a decade after trastuzumab treatment. Conversely, one trial found that patients with low HER2 expression and metastatic breast cancer had a positive response to trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-Dxd). This indicates that relying solely on HER2 as a single diagnostic marker to predict the efficacy of anti-HER2 drugs is insufficient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOatmeal and wheat flour as the sources of thyroid peroxidase and proinflammatory enzymes modulators in the prevention of thyroid diseases.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Life Sciences, Skromna Str. 8, Lublin, 20-704, Poland.
Polyphenolic plant compounds possess nutritional and pro-healthy potential, reducing the risk of auto-inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. However, their interference with the progression of thyroid gland dysfunctions has remained largely unaddressed. For this purpose, we combined the analyses of phenolic content and antioxidative activity with the thyroid peroxidase (TPO), lipoxygenase (LOX), xanthine oxidase (XO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity assays, isobolographic approach and the estimation of thyroid cancer cells' proliferation and motility in vitro.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNew insight into the protective effect of Citrullus colocynthis loaded with ZnONP cream on glutaraldehyde-induced dermatitis in health care workers.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Glutaraldehyde (GLU) is mainly used in medicine by healthcare workers during infection control as a chemical disinfectant. It has been linked to numerous health hazards that range from asthma to irritation of the eye to contact dermatitis. Citrullus colocynthis (C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerging nanotechnology-driven drug delivery solutions for malaria: Addressing drug resistance and improving therapeutic success.
Int J Pharm
January 2025
Centre for Transgenic Plant Development, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India. Electronic address:
Malaria remains the fifth deadliest parasitic infection worldwide, despite significant advancements in technology. A major challenge in combating this disease lies in the growing resistance of malaria parasites to antimalarial drugs and insect vectors to insecticides. The emerging inefficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) further exacerbates the issue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvancing neurological disorders therapies: Organic nanoparticles as a key to blood-brain barrier penetration.
Int J Pharm
January 2025
Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada; Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CBB), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada; Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada; Centre for Sustainable Business, International Business University, Toronto, Canada. Electronic address:
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a vital role in protecting the central nervous system (CNS) by preventing the entry of harmful pathogens from the bloodstream. However, this barrier also presents a significant obstacle when it comes to delivering drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancer. Recent breakthroughs in nanotechnology have paved the way for the creation of a wide range of nanoparticles (NPs) that can serve as carriers for diagnosis and therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!