Drug Repurposing: A strategic approach to addressing unmet medical needs

Abstract

Drug repurposing, also known as drug repositioning or drug reprofiling, is gaining prominence as a strategic approach to addressing unmet medical needs. This review article explores the concept of drug repurposing, its significance in the pharmaceutical industry, and various strategies employed in identifying new therapeutic indications for existing drugs. Challenges in traditional drug discovery, such as high costs and low success rates, underscore the importance of repurposing existing drugs. Through computational and experimental approaches, along with clinical observation and serendipity, drug repurposing offers advantages including reduced time and cost of development, utilization of existing safety profiles, and potential for rapid clinical translation. Successful examples such as aspirin, thalidomide, and Viagra demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. Current trends and future directions, including integration of omics data and collaboration across sectors, highlight the evolving landscape of drug repurposing as a key strategy in addressing unmet medical needs.