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Updated: Sep 16, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
[Drug repurposing to combat viral infectious diseases: principles and illustration with Prozac®]
Marine O Faucher1, Karine Barral2, Bruno Coutard1
1Unité des virus émergents (UVE), Aix-Marseille Université, Università di Corsica, IRD 190, Inserm U1207, IRBA, France.
Abstract:
Drug repurposing represents a strategic approach aimed at accelerating the development of treatments against viral infections. This review presents three repurposing strategies, illustrated with therapeutic compounds notably fluoxetine (Prozac®), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant that also exhibits several antiviral mechanisms of action. The examples discussed in this review highlight both the potential and the limitations of drug repurposing, particularly in a "plug-and-play" approach.
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