Prof. Howard Lee was featured in the 'Medical School Library', a lecture series channel at YouTube by the Young Doctors, an online journalism company with a focus on the medical societies, medical issues and policies, and the biopharmaceutical industry. Prof. Lee introduced the audience to the concept of biopharmaceutical products as to how different they are from the traditional, chemically synthesized, small-molecule drugs. He also discussed advanced biotherapeutics using a couple of tragic failures by two Korean biopharmaceutical companies, i.e., Shillazen and Tissugen to emphasize the informed design of clinical trials and the quality manufacturing for biopharmaceutical products. Prof. Lee finally talked about biosimilars: what they are, how different they are from the reference biologic, and what clinicians should know before [s]he prescribes a biosimilar.

Prof. Lee's lectures can be watched by clicking the following links: 

Prof. Lee was invited to the 6^th Gaucher Regional Forum -virtual edition, where he talked about the biosimilarity in the orphan world, particularly in the drug development for Gaucher disease. Prof. Lee also moderated the session. A year ago, Prof. Lee joined the 5^th of its kind, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

The Forum entailed a series of dynamic and exciting discussion around the diagnosis, patient management and the safety and well-being of patients with Gaucher Disease. In his speech, Prof. Lee contrasted the differences between small molecule drugs and biologics, and how these differences could translate into something every clinician has to understand when she prescribes a biosimilar to her patients. Prof. Lee went further to explain why intended copies are not true biosimilars although almost all of them have been promoted and marketed as they were. For example, Abcertin by ISU ABXIS is not a true biosimilar to its reference biologic, which is imiglucerase by Genzyme®. Knowing the difference between true biosimilars and intended copies is very important not only for every practicing physician, patient, but for regulators to ensure each patient gets a biologic of high quality, which underwent the regulatory review and scrutiny. 

Lee H. Erratum to: Is Extrapolation of the Safety and Efficacy Data in One Indication to Another Appropriate for Biosimilars? AAPS J. 2015;17(6):1520-1521

Lee H. Is Extrapolation of the Safety and Efficacy Data in One Indication to Another Appropriate for Biosimilars? AAPS J. 2014;16(1):22-26, Epub 11 Oct 2013 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-013-9534-y