ME-TOO DRUGS: A REVIEW OF THEIR ROLE AND IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE
AbstractMe-too drugs are pharmacologically active compounds that have structural similarities to the first-in-class compound. Approximately 60% of drugs on the World Health Organization’s list of essential treatments fall into the “me-too” category. They are an important but contentious component of modern pharmacotherapy, with minor improvements in cost, efficacy, side effects, and compliance on one side of the coin, while on the other side it faces criticism for its growing popularity in a profit-driven development, in absence of new innovation and improper regulatory scrutiny. This review focuses on the primary reasons for the development of me-too drugs whether it is pharmaceutical company driven or actually benefiting patients, as well as the challenges they must overcome, regulatory requirements, differences with the biosimilars and future prospects. We found that me-too drugs have certain limitations in that they lack sufficient innovation affecting new drugs or target development, yet they are considered crucial for expanding treatment options, particularly for patients who cannot tolerate the first-in-class medication.
Article Information
1
408-416
727 KB
18
English
IJPSR
Anurag Motwani *, Kiran A. Bhave and Tejal Patel
Department of Pharmacology, HBT MC & Dr. R. N. Cooper Hospital Vile Parle West, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
anurag.motwani1@gmail.com
17 July 2025
24 September 2025
26 October 2025
10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.17(2).408-16
01 February 2026
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