There are vaccines to prevent infectious diseases caused by bacteria (such as pertussis, pneumococcal), viruses (such as measles, mumps, rubella, influenza), and parasites (such as Malaria). Vaccines are also increasingly being developed to treat and not only to prevent. Preventive vaccines fall under four main types: Live-attenuated vaccines use a weakened (“attenuated”) form of the…Read more
Types of Medicines
How Vaccines WorkArticle
How vaccines were invented? Why vaccines are important? Find out more about the history of vaccines, how they work and more information on the topic.
BiosimilarsArticle
Biosimilars are medicines that are designed to be similar to previously approved biologic medicines.
Generic medicinesArticle
Generic medicines are copies of original, branded medicines. They can be manufactured and sold after the protection on an original product expires. They have the same form and active pharmaceutical ingredient as the original medicine, and they are regulated according to the same standards.
Biologic medicinesArticle
Biologic medicines, or protein-based medicines such as insulin, are designed to interact with specific targets in the patient’s body. A more targeted mechanism of action should lead to a greater chance of the medicine having the desired effect against the disease and should result in fewer side effects than traditional medicines.
NanoparticlesArticle
Nanoparticles are tiny objects, available only as intravenous formulations, that help medicines get to difficult-to-reach cells and tissue. They can also help protect molecules and control the targeted release of medicines.
Medical devicesArticle
Medical devices are articles or instruments used in disease prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical devices range in form and function, ranging for instance from inhalers to pacemakers to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, etc.
Herbal medicineArticle
Herbal medicines are based on extracts from plants or parts of plants that have healing properties. They have been used for hundreds of years and can be seen as the origin of biologic treatments. Herbal medicines are still widely used, in particular in developing countries where modern medicine infrastructure is lacking, and they are regulated in the EU at national and EU-level.
Introduction to medicinesArticle
A medicine is commonly defined as a drug or preparation that can treat or prevent disease. Medicines must be delivered into the body, where they are then distributed to the organs that need them before being broken down and excreted.
VaccinesArticle
Vaccines are biological preparations developed from modified versions of the micro-organisms that cause a disease. Vaccines improve or convey immunity to particular diseases, usually in an effort to prevent or cure disease.
