Obamacare Ruling Paves Way for Fixing Flaws in Biosimilar System

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Obamacare preserves a pathway for low-cost versions of biologic drugs to hit the market while also stirring a fresh debate over how to fix the system’s shortcomings.

The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act is tucked into Obamacare and lets drugmakers get around hurdles like certain extensive clinical trials to market biosimilars—versions of biologics that mimic the originals. Allowing the Affordable Care Act to stand ensures patients still have easier access to cheaper versions of some of the market’s most expensive therapies.

Yet while many legal observers laud the high court for upholding the ...