DRUG REPURPOSING:
OpportunitIes for new indication...
‘A SERENDIPITOUS PROCESS’
ABSTRACT:
Introduction
Drug repurposing is the technique of using an existing drug
or drug candidate for a new treatment or medical condition
for which it was not indicated before.
This process can be called as a second life for drugs.
It has been described as a serendipitous process that
happens unexpectedly. In this process, the undesired side
effects of drug molecules can also be a pointer to exploring
the possibility of its effectiveness in an entirely different
medical condition. This method emerges as a promising
solution to this dilemma of traditional drug discovery, which
has been a long laborious and costly process, often taking
years or even decades to bring a new drug to the market.
The principles of drug repurposing revolve around utilizing
existing drug knowledge, employing advanced data analysis
tools, identifying potential therapeutic targets, and gaining
mechanistic insights. By harnessing the power of existing
drugs and comprehensive data analyses, drug repurposing
offers a strategic and efficient approach to discovering new
therapeutic applications for the benefit of patients and
healthcare systems.
OBJECTIVES
success stories
1. Reduce Time and Cost of Drug Development
2. Improve Success Rates
3. Address Unmet Medical Needs
4. Optimize Drug Utilization and Efficacy
5. Leverage Known Mechanisms of Action
6. Enhance Drug Safety and Reduce Adverse Effects
7. Increase Return on Investment for Pharmaceutical Companies
8. Respond Rapidly to Emerging Health Threats
9. Facilitate Personalized Medicine
10. Encourage Scientific Innovation and Collaboration
1.Metformin primarily used to treat Type II Diabetes is repurposed
to treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
2. Thalidomide used for treating nausea in pregnancy(was banned)
is repurposed for Leprosy and Multiple Myeloma.
3. Viagra (Sildenafil) used in Angina and Hypertension is repurposed
to treat Erectile dysfunction.
4.Dexamethasone is corticosteroid(Rheumatoid arthritis, Asthama)
that was repurposed for the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases.
approaches
1. Computational Approaches:
In silico screening, data mining, machine learning, network pharmacology.
2. Experimental Approaches:
High-throughput screening (HTS) and phenotypic screening.
3. Clinical Approaches:
Retrospective clinical analysis, off-label use analysis, observational studies.
4. Drug Combination Approaches:
Drug combination screening for complex diseases like cancer or neurodegenerative disorders.
5. Pathway and Mechanism-Based Approaches:
Pathway-based repurposing and off-target activity exploration.
challenges
1. Lack of Pre-clinical studies.
2. Drug identification accuracy.
3. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Patent issues.
4. Financial risks.
5. Market demand uncertainty.
6. Regulatory hurdles requiring new clinical trials.
why drug repurposing?
Repurposing can identify new compounds based on
phenotypic benefits without explicitly defining the
mechanism of action. This can be directly tested in
pre-clinical animal models and these results are
more applicable to clinical applications and
research. It may progress directly to Phase II
clinical trials. There is a minimum risk of failure
with repurposed drugs.
Here's a graph which explains that drug
repurposing is significantly faster, cheaper and has
a higher success rate as compared to developing a
new drug from scratch.
future opportunities
STAGES:
1. Enhanced Computational Methods
2. Comprehensive Databases
3. Incentives for rare diseases
4. Focus on Combination Therapies
5. Precision Medicine Integration
6. Patient-Centric Trials
7. Intellectual Property Reforms
Reference:
1. Kulkarni VS, Alagarsamy V, Solomon VR, Jose PA, Murugesan S. Drug repurposing: an effective tool in
modern drug discovery. Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry. 2023 Apr;49(2):157-66.
2. Shoaib M, Amjad Kamal M, Mohd Danish Rizvi S. Repurposed drugs as potential therapeutic candidates for
the management of Alzheimer's disease. Current Drug Metabolism. 2017 Sep 1;18(9):842-52.
Conclusion
There are numerous diseases for which good
therapeutic options have not been developed. The
concept of repurposing a drug enables exploring the
hidden potential of many molecules and better
utilization of therapeutic agents. For better drug
repositioning, more in-depth understanding along with
integrated approaches between computational and
experimental methods may be required to ensure high
success rates of repositioned drugs.
Name: KETAKI S. PATIL
Year of study: Iv year
College: ADITYA PHARMACY COLLEGE