The concept of repurposing and repositioning drugs has emerged as a promising strategy in the pharmaceutical industry. It involves the discovery of new applications for existing and experimental medicines, offering a way to revitalize stalled pharmaceutical projects, address neglected diseases, and significantly reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with drug development.
Notably, this strategy gained momentum as academic researchers began conducting high-throughput screens (HTS) of small molecules, a practice that was once exclusive to the industry. What sets this approach apart is the openness in sharing the data generated from these screens with the broader scientific community.
Various methods have been developed to extract valuable insights from this data to inform drug repurposing and repositioning efforts. While there are limitations to these methods, there is a hopeful expectation that they will expedite the discovery of new applications for known drugs, although this promise has not yet been fully realized.
Additionally, it's worth highlighting the concept of repurposing drug formulations, which involves finding new therapeutic uses for existing drug formulations or combinations. This approach offers several advantages, including a potentially faster regulatory pathway due to the established safety profile of the formulation, reduced development costs, and the ability to provide patients with new treatment options without the need for extensive clinical trials.
Repurposing formulations can be a valuable addition to the broader strategy of drug repurposing and repositioning in the quest for innovative and efficient drug development solutions.
