In pharmacology, not every new drug is a breakthrough. Me-too drugs are medications that are structurally similar to an already approved drug and act through the same mechanism of action, with only minor chemical modifications.
These drugs usually enter the market after a first-in-class (pioneer) drug and offer comparable efficacy. The differences often lie in pharmacokinetics, dosing schedule, tolerability, or cost, rather than in therapeutic innovation.
Examples:
Esomeprazole- Omeprazole
Escitalopram- Citalopram
Levocetirizine- Cetirizine
Advantages?
- Increase treatment options
- Promote market competition - which may reduce prices.
Me-too drugs may not be revolutionary but they are reliably useful!
MBH/AB