Title:Drug Repurposing: Insights into Current Advances and Future Applications
Volume: 32
Issue: 3
Author(s): Trisha Bhatia and Shweta Sharma*
Affiliation:
- School of Pharmacy, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382007, India
Keywords:
Drug repurposing, drug development, applications, limitations, therapeutic targets, bioassay.
Abstract: Drug development is a complex and expensive process that involves extensive
research and testing before a new drug can be approved for use. This has led to a
limited availability of potential therapeutics for many diseases. Despite significant advances
in biomedical science, the process of drug development remains a bottleneck, as
all hypotheses must be tested through experiments and observations, which can be timeconsuming
and costly. To address this challenge, drug repurposing has emerged as an innovative
strategy for finding new uses for existing medications that go beyond their original
intended use. This approach has the potential to speed up the drug development process
and reduce costs, making it an attractive option for pharmaceutical companies and
researchers alike. It involves the identification of existing drugs or compounds that have
the potential to be used for the treatment of a different disease or condition. This can be
done through a variety of approaches, including screening existing drugs against new disease
targets, investigating the biological mechanisms of existing drugs, and analyzing data
from clinical trials and electronic health records. Additionally, repurposing drugs can
lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets and mechanisms of action, which
can enhance our understanding of disease biology and lead to the development of more
effective treatments. Overall, drug repurposing is an exciting and promising area of research
that has the potential to revolutionize the drug development process and improve
the lives of millions of people around the world. The present review provides insights on
types of interaction, approaches, availability of databases, applications and limitations of
drug repurposing.
