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Updated: Dec 16, 2025
Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
Overcoming cancer therapeutic bottleneck by drug repurposing
1State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, 610041, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Ever present hurdles for the discovery of new drugs for cancer therapy have necessitated the development of the alternative strategy of drug repurposing, the development of old drugs for new therapeutic purposes. This strategy with a cost-effective way offers a rare opportunity for the treatment of human neoplastic disease, facilitating rapid clinical translation. With an increased understanding of the hallmarks of cancer and the development of various data-driven approaches, drug repurposing further promotes the holistic productivity of drug discovery and reasonably focuses on target-defined antineoplastic compounds. The "treasure trove" of non-oncology drugs should not be ignored since they could target not only known but also hitherto unknown vulnerabilities of cancer. Indeed, different from targeted drugs, these old generic drugs, usually used in a multi-target strategy may bring benefit to patients. In this review, aiming to demonstrate the full potential of drug repurposing, we present various promising repurposed non-oncology drugs for clinical cancer management and classify these candidates into their proposed administration for either mono- or drug combination therapy. We also summarize approaches used for drug repurposing and discuss the main barriers to its uptake.
Insights
Drug repurposing offers a cost-effective strategy for cancer therapy by developing existing non-oncology drugs for new uses. This approach targets cancer vulnerabilities, potentially benefiting patients through single or combination treatments.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Traditional cancer drug discovery faces significant hurdles, necessitating alternative strategies.
- Drug repurposing, using existing medications for new therapeutic purposes, provides a cost-effective and rapid clinical translation pathway for cancer treatment.
- Advances in understanding cancer hallmarks and data-driven methods enhance drug repurposing's efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review promising repurposed non-oncology drugs for clinical cancer management.
- To classify repurposed drug candidates for monotherapy or combination therapy.
- To summarize drug repurposing approaches and discuss adoption barriers.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of non-oncology drugs with potential anticancer activity.
- Classification of repurposed drugs based on therapeutic strategy (monotherapy vs. combination therapy).
- Analysis of common drug repurposing methodologies and challenges.
Main Results:
- Identified several non-oncology drugs with potential for repurposing in cancer therapy.
- Categorized these drugs according to their proposed use in single-agent or combination treatment regimens.
- Highlighted the potential of generic drugs in multi-target strategies against cancer.
Conclusions:
- Drug repurposing presents a valuable strategy to overcome challenges in novel cancer drug discovery.
- Non-oncology drugs represent a significant resource for identifying new cancer treatments.
- Addressing barriers to adoption is crucial for maximizing the impact of drug repurposing in oncology.
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