Drug 'repurposing': A fast track for innovative therapies
More attention is being paid to leveraging existing compounds for new therapeutic applications, according to reports (1,400 words, 7 minutes)
Drug repurposing, or drug repositioning, is gaining traction in the pharmaceutical industry as a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to developing new therapies.
A study published in the journal Viruses notes that drug repurposing can lower the overall development costs of a new agent by approximately Cdn$410 million. However, cost-effectiveness isn’t the sole benefit of this practice. The European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry reports that researchers can expedite drug development and bring treatments to the market by identifying alternative uses for existing drugs.
Repurposing existing compounds may offer several advantages over traditional drug discovery methods. Technology Networks writes that because these compounds have already undergone extensive safety testing, the practice reduces the risk of bringing a new drug to market. They add that it may even hold the potential for discovering new targets and pathways to develop new therapies. Furthermore, according to a study in the Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, a drug with well-established safety and toxicity profiles approved by regulatory authorities such as the U.S. FDA or Health Canada can forego clinical trials with enough data support and is an ideal candidate for repurposing.
One of the most textbook examples of successful drug repurposing is sildenafil. Intech Open writes that this compound was initially developed to treat angina but later repurposed as a treatment for erectile dysfunction and commercially sold as Viagra. Viruses observes that another classic example of drug repurposing is minoxidil, intended initially as hypertension Tx and now used for hair loss.
Elsevier writes that drug repurposing has been particularly useful in oncology and infectious diseases, where new treatment options are urgently needed. An example is thalidomide, initially developed as a sedative, removed from the market because of its teratogenic effects, and then later repurposed for Tx of multiple myeloma and nodosum leprosum.
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HEALTHBIZ REWIND
This feature of NPC Healthbiz Weekly looks back at some of the most insightful moments from previous NPC Podcast episodes. In Healthbiz Rewind, you’ll read bold life sci predictions made during the renowned “Prognostication Korner” segment of the NPC Podcast.
Kevin Leshuk
President and CEO
FORUS Therapeutics
Oakville, Ont.
Season 11, episode 03
Listen to this episode here
What bold predictions can you make about the sciences industry during the upcoming 12 to 24 months?
I think change is just a constant. I think our healthcare system will have to change to sustain the growth we’re seeing in population and disease. I think our industry, which is such an essential pillar in treatment, has to get better at its messages. We [also] must improve at defining value, and that change will be constant. I don’t think we can stand still. We’re going to have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
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