Drug repositioning in cancer: The current situation in Japan

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Cancer remains a leading global cause of mortality with increasing incidence.
• Traditional oncology drug development is lengthy, expensive, and has high failure rates.
• Drug repositioning (DR), or repurposing, is an emerging strategy to find new uses for approved non-cancer drugs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of drug repositioning in cancer therapy.
• To discuss the challenges and financial obstacles hindering clinical translation of DR candidates.
• To highlight promising drug repositioning candidates for anticancer treatment in Japan.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of drug repositioning strategies in oncology.
• Analysis of advances in disease biology, 'omics' technologies, and bioinformatics accelerating DR.
• Exploration of activity-based, literature-based, and in silico DR approaches.

Main Results:

• Drug repositioning leverages existing drug libraries and technological advancements to accelerate anticancer drug discovery.
• DR offers improved safety profiles and reduced development costs compared to de novo drug creation.
• Significant financial hurdles in clinical trials remain a major limitation for widespread DR adoption.

Conclusions:

• Drug repositioning presents a viable and efficient alternative for developing novel anticancer therapeutics.
• Overcoming financial barriers in clinical trials is crucial for realizing the full potential of DR in cancer care.
• Several promising DR candidates show potential for future anticancer therapies, particularly in the Japanese context.