Introduction: Definition and Classification of Biologics

Abstract

Many chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease to name just a few are caused by an overreactive immune system. Carrier substances that falsely inform the body about an ongoing infection are produced in large quantities. The immune system answers by starting a strong immune response. The body’s own tissues are attacked and continuously destroyed. Specific models of reaction have to be understood to find a possible key to altering this perpetual process of destruction. On the other hand, the immune system may overlook the destructive process of cancer by neglecting its surveillance task, by allowing itself to be fooled by the tumor cell’s deceiving tactics. Here specific biologic reagents are needed to jump-start the immune reaction or simply for highly specific targeting of drugs to kill specifically the tumor. The development of biologics has both of these aims in mind.