What is a biopharmaceutical and how does it differ from traditional drugs?

Biopharmaceuticals (biologics) are therapeutic products derived from living organisms or their components, including proteins, antibodies, vaccines, and nucleic acids. They differ from traditional small molecule drugs in several ways: larger molecular size (thousands to millions of Daltons vs hundreds), complex 3D structure essential for function, produced through biological processes (fermentation, cell culture) rather than chemical synthesis, sensitive to temperature and handling conditions, administered by injection rather than orally, highly specific with fewer off-target effects, and more expensive to develop and manufacture. Examples include insulin, monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines.