Production of a Bevacizumab Biosimilar Using Continuous Manufacturing Practices; Cancer Treatment Equity: How the Medical Community and the Federal Government Respond to Cancer Disparities

The average American has a lifetime cancer risk of around 40%. However, this burden is not distributed equally among all groups. As cancer rates rise, equitable access to quality care is urgently needed.
The technical research team developed a conceptual design of a process plant that would produce a biosimilar of bevacizumab at minimized cost for a more accessible product. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most effective treatments currently available for cancer. Their expense is a major barrier to their accessibility. One of the most commonly used mAbs for several common cancers is bevacizumab (brand name Avastin). Bevacizumab costs approximately 3000 dollars more per treatment cycle than traditional chemotherapy. Biosimilars, molecules that are biologically related to brand-name drugs and perform the same function, offer one avenue to decrease costs. Manufacturing methods such as continuous and single-use equipment can be used to decrease costs as well.
How have different groups within the medical community addressed cancer disparities? In the United States, disparities in cancer diagnosis, care, and recovery divide groups by race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, with implications for diagnosis and recovery rates. Pharmaceutical companies, advocacies, physicians, and researchers all agree disparities must be diminished, but disagree on how to do so. Complicating efforts to reduce disparities, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Trump administration have opposed efforts to respond to the issue.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Eric Anderson
STS Advisor: Peter Norton

Technical Team Members: Kenneth Chao, Dedra Dadzie, Douglas Fox, Morgan-Elizabeth R. McKnight