A biotechnology drug is one that is produced using living organisms such as yeast, bacteria, or mammalian cells. All but one are manufactured through a process called recombinant DNA technology. In human cells, tightly coiled thread-like molecules called DNA are contained in the nucleus or control center of the cell. DNA is composed of several genes, each of which carries a blueprint for the production of a specific protein. Most of the drugs produced by recombinant DNA technology belong to a group of proteins called cytokines.
Cytokines are proteins that help cells communicate with each other.
Others orchestrate the immune system's response to viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms. Some do both. If taken orally, they would be destroyed by acids and enzymes in the stomach before reaching the bloodstream. They are also temperature-sensitive, and must be stored within very specific temperature ranges. Some of the drugs now produced by biotechnology were once produced by different means.