Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals: Transforming Proteins and Genes into Drugs

This book defines biotechnology from the perspective of pharmaceuticals. The first section focuses on the process of transforming a biologic macromolecule into a therapeutic agent, while the second section provides a brief overview of each class of macromolecule with respect to physiological role and clinical application. Additional detail is also provided in the second section for each FDA approved, recombinantly derived biopharmaceutical for each category of macromolecule. The final section looks to the future and the new advances that will enhance our ability to develop new macromolecules into effective biopharmaceuticals. This last section discusses various drug delivery strategies while also describing gene and cell therapy strategies.