Classification of biopharmaceuticals

* Blood factors (Factor VIII and Factor IX)
* Thrombolytic agents (tissue plasminogen activator)
* Hormones (insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, gonadotrophins)
* Haematopoietic growth factors (Erythropoietin, colony stimulating factors)
* Interferons (Interferons-α, -β, -γ)
* Interleukin-based products (Interleukin-2)
* Vaccines (Hepatitis B surface antigen)
* Monoclonal antibodies (Various)
* Additional products (tumour necrosis factor, therapeutic enzymes)

Uses

* Erythropoietin - Treatment of anaemia
* Interferon-α - Treatment of leukaemia
* Interferon-β - Treatment of multiple sclerosis
* Monoclonal antibody - Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
* Colony stimulating factors - Treatment of neutropenia
* Glucocerebrosidase - Treatment of Gaucher's disease


Large scale production

Biopharmaceuticals may be produced from microbial cells (e.g. recombinant E. coli or yeast cultures), mammalian cell lines (see cell culture) and plant cell cultures in bioreactors of various configurations.

Important issues of concern are cost of production (a low volume, high purity product is desirable) and microbial contamination (by bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma, etc). Alternative platforms of production which are being tested include whole plants (plant-made pharmaceuticals).