3 ms·

Just curious, what's the difference? I thought the patents have expired and other companies have started to clone the drug.

• ekianjo 3y ago
  very large molecules (proteins) can't be exactly replicated. It's not something like aspirin with a barely a few atoms bundled together, those are very complex structures with very long chains and 3D hyperstructures that have a clear impact on their effect. So it's not easy to replicate exactly the protein done by another company, so what a biosimilar is, is an attempt at making proteins that have similar kind of folding and efficacy while not being strictly identical. That's why they are not generics.
  • ww520 3y ago
    I see. Thanks for the explanation.
  • gtuhdhvd 3y ago
    what do you mean can't be replicated? that's how they manufacture the drug. or do you mean cannot be made legally in the usa absurd copyright law where a company can simply deny licensing for medication?
    • ekianjo 3y ago
      > what do you mean can't be replicated? that's how they manufacture the drug. because manufacturing is much more complex, depends on genetic modification of bacteria or things like that, and there are trade secrets involved in the manufacturing process - so you won't be able to replicate it even if you know the final structure.