Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access

Significant advances in drug research and development are herein reviewed first to set the background for a critical consideration of the economic sustainability of biologics and small molecules, why biologic drugs are more expensive, and how drug cost often influences patient access to one drug cla...

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Main Author:	Favour Danladi Makurvet
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier 2021-03-01
Series:	Medicine in Drug Discovery
Subjects:	biologics small molecule drugs biosimilars antibody-drug conjugates patient access to drugs drug cost
Online Access:	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590098620300622

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spelling	doaj-5506711dbc3049448836758ec4350f692021-02-27T04:40:09ZengElsevierMedicine in Drug Discovery2590-09862021-03-019100075Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient accessFavour Danladi Makurvet0Corresponding author.; School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University Park NG7 2RD, United KingdomSignificant advances in drug research and development are herein reviewed first to set the background for a critical consideration of the economic sustainability of biologics and small molecules, why biologic drugs are more expensive, and how drug cost often influences patient access to one drug class over the other. Also strongly emphasized is the need for the drug-making, especially the biopharmaceutical, industry to consider a reassignment of priorities so that more patients can enjoy the great benefits that come with blockbuster drugs, many of which are of biological origin but extremely expensive. A balance between the efficacy of wonder-performing drugs and the patient's financial ability to access them must be established to obliterate the crippling effect of the high costs of drugs on the poor majority of patients – those who cannot afford them. The overarching point broadly emphasized is that the actual success in drug discovery and development and in healthcare delivery should be measured not only by the magnitude of scientific breakthroughs but also by the level to which they are affordable to patients as determined by their costs. To enhance patients' access to drugs and new and/or improved healthcare technologies, more research attention must be paid to such cheaper alternatives as small molecules generics, biosimilars, and antibody-drug conjugates; government policies must be established to encourage the commercialization of biosimilars; and pharmaceutical companies must be charitable enough to run assistance programs for eligible financially handicap patients while seeking to make profits from the drug-making business.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590098620300622biologicssmall molecule drugsbiosimilarsantibody-drug conjugatespatient access to drugsdrug cost
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	Favour Danladi Makurvet
spellingShingle	Favour Danladi Makurvet Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access Medicine in Drug Discovery biologics small molecule drugs biosimilars antibody-drug conjugates patient access to drugs drug cost
author_facet	Favour Danladi Makurvet
author_sort	Favour Danladi Makurvet
title	Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access
title_short	Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access
title_full	Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access
title_fullStr	Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access
title_full_unstemmed	Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access
title_sort	biologics vs. small molecules: drug costs and patient access
publisher	Elsevier
series	Medicine in Drug Discovery
issn	2590-0986
publishDate	2021-03-01
description	Significant advances in drug research and development are herein reviewed first to set the background for a critical consideration of the economic sustainability of biologics and small molecules, why biologic drugs are more expensive, and how drug cost often influences patient access to one drug class over the other. Also strongly emphasized is the need for the drug-making, especially the biopharmaceutical, industry to consider a reassignment of priorities so that more patients can enjoy the great benefits that come with blockbuster drugs, many of which are of biological origin but extremely expensive. A balance between the efficacy of wonder-performing drugs and the patient's financial ability to access them must be established to obliterate the crippling effect of the high costs of drugs on the poor majority of patients – those who cannot afford them. The overarching point broadly emphasized is that the actual success in drug discovery and development and in healthcare delivery should be measured not only by the magnitude of scientific breakthroughs but also by the level to which they are affordable to patients as determined by their costs. To enhance patients' access to drugs and new and/or improved healthcare technologies, more research attention must be paid to such cheaper alternatives as small molecules generics, biosimilars, and antibody-drug conjugates; government policies must be established to encourage the commercialization of biosimilars; and pharmaceutical companies must be charitable enough to run assistance programs for eligible financially handicap patients while seeking to make profits from the drug-making business.
topic	biologics small molecule drugs biosimilars antibody-drug conjugates patient access to drugs drug cost
url	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590098620300622
work_keys_str_mv	AT favourdanladimakurvet biologicsvssmallmoleculesdrugcostsandpatientaccess
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Biologics vs. small molecules: Drug costs and patient access

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