iQone Healthcare Switzerland is offering a range of biological and biosimilar therapies to address unmet medical needs. What they are is explained hereafter.

BIOLOGIC
Biological medicines, or biologics, are genetically engineered proteins produced by living cells such as cloned human white blood cells. They are called biological medicines because they mimic substances produced by the human body such as antibodies. They are designed to target specific molecules of the immune system involved in inflammation. Since the late 1980s, biologics have been used as highly-effective and human-friendly treatments for patients and caregivers in autoimmune diseases, cancer and chronic diseases.

BIOSIMILARS
A biosimilar is a biological medicine highly similar to another already approved biological medicine (the ‘reference medicine’ or ‘originator product’). Biosimilars have no clinically meaningful differences in purity, immunogenicity, safety and effectiveness from the reference product. They have the same structure as their parent biologics and are approved by health authorities according to the same standards that apply to all biological medicines. As clones of high-priced biologics, biosimilars provide the same therapeutic effects at affordable prices, improving access to medical treatment to patients in need.

MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS
Clinical studies show the efficacy and safety of switching from originator to biosimilar (CT-P13) Infliximab in several immunologic indications (rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis).