Drug repurposing: Misconceptions, challenges, and opportunities for academic researchers

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Drug Development
• Regulatory Science

Background:

• Drug repurposing is a cost- and time-effective strategy for developing new medicines.
• Academic researchers frequently overlook crucial processes for repurposing drugs to new indications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify critical factors for successful drug repurposing.
• To guide academic investigators in identifying viable drug repurposing opportunities.

Main Methods:

• Review of key considerations in drug repurposing.
• Discussion of financial, intellectual property, clinical, and regulatory pathways.
• Emphasis on clinical equipoise for ethical trial justification.

Main Results:

• Drug repurposing requires careful consideration of financial and intellectual property aspects.
• Navigating the clinical and regulatory path is essential for approval.
• Establishing clinical equipoise is vital for ethical randomized controlled trials.

Conclusions:

• Successful drug repurposing mirrors traditional drug development's trajectory.
• Addressing overlooked factors is key to fulfilling the promise of drug repurposing.
• This discussion aims to better equip academic researchers for drug repurposing initiatives.