Drug Repositioning: Current Approaches and Their Implications in the Precision Medicine Era
January 2018
in “
Expert review of precision medicine and drug development
”
TLDR Drug repositioning is becoming more targeted and efficient with new technologies, offering personalized treatment options and growing interest in the field.
The 2018 article by Alan Talevi explored the strategy of drug repositioning in the context of precision medicine, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and potential for finding new uses for existing drugs. It reviewed modern, systematic, and computer-assisted methods for drug repurposing, including the use of omics technologies and computing advancements to tailor drug repurposing to individual patient data. The article highlighted the utility of databases like DrugBank, virtual screening methods, and bioinformatics tools in identifying new drug targets and repurposing opportunities. It also discussed the challenges of drug repurposing, such as commercial and regulatory issues, and the benefits for neglected and rare conditions. The document included examples from oncology where genetic profiling informed treatment decisions, such as the Personalized OncoGenomics program, which provided treatment data for 83% of patients. It concluded that while drug repurposing is not new, current scientific tools allow for a more evidence-based approach to personalized medicine, and the interest in this field is expected to grow.
