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Even though vaccines and insulin are also biologics, the most expensive type of biologic drug is called a monoclonal antibody. These are drugs such as Humira or Enbrel for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, and Tysabri for multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease.
First released in 1986 for the treatment of cancer, monoclonal antibodies are the most rapidly growing type of biologic drug. That’s because they are extremely targeted therapies that block specific interactions in the immune system, which regular drugs can’t do.
Monoclonal antibodies are large proteins that are produced by clones of the same living cell, normally from a rodent’s spleen. When these proteins enter the bloodstream, they're able to attach to only a few types of cells, which attach to the protein like a puzzle piece. This is called a lock-and-key mechanism. Many cancer cells grow by the same mechanisms as other diseases, so biologics that were originally developed for cancer are now being tested to treat autoimmune disorders.
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