"Me-too" drugs need free reign.

• Position: Pharmaceuticals

New pharmaceuticals drugs--even when they are very similar to existing drugs--should be allowed to compete freely with other products and not be subject to discriminatory government treatment by regulators or in Federal health programs, according to a study published by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C. The study explains the value of so-called "me-too" drugs--those within the same chemical class as one or more others already on the market. Despite their similarity to existing treatments, me-too drugs can provide valuable benefits to patients and physicians.

"Drugs based on incremental improvements generally represent advances in safety and efficacy and facilitate more personalized prescribing alternatives. They also provide new formulations and dosing options that significantly increase patient compliance, which also lead to improved health outcomes," write study authors Albert I. Wertheimer and Thomas M. Santella. "Patients respond differently to different drugs within a single class. If physicians have many options at their disposal, they can calibrate...