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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
[Prescription of drugs without registered indication]
1Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie -- Gerontopsychiatrie, Vivantes Klinikum Hellersdorf, Berlin. tilman.wetterling@vivantes.de
Abstract:
In the medical treatment of psychiatric patients drugs not registered for this specific indication are often prescribed. This so-called "off-label-use" is an increasing matter of discussion in the last years. In the article several aspects concerning "off-label-use" of psychotropic drugs debated in Germany are reviewed. According to a sentence of the German Supreme Court for Social Law an "off-label-use" is only allowed under strong conditions. Furthermore, controlled randomized studies are judged to be the basis of an evaluation of the permission to prescribe an "off-label" medication. Since in clinical practice a comprehensive research of suitable controlled studies is time consuming, in this article controlled randomized studies concerning the main problematic fields of psychopharmacotherapy: treatment of single psychopathological symptoms, therapy resistance, contraindications or severe side-effects, absence of well-established medical treatment strategies and "add-on"-therapy are reviewed. The problems and legal aspects of an "off-label-use" in psychiatry are discussed.
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