Repurposed Drugs: Current Trends In Drug Discovery

The document discusses drug repurposing as a strategy in drug discovery, highlighting its benefits such as faster development timelines, reduced costs, and established safety profiles. This approach can save 5-7 years in development time and reduce costs by about 15%, accounting for about 30% of FDA-approved medications. Successful examples include minoxidil for hair loss and sildenafil for erectile dysfunction. Drug repurposing is also being explored for COVID-19, oncology, and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite its potential, challenges like regulatory hurdles and intellectual property issues remain. Advances in technology and collaborative efforts are crucial for overcoming these obstacles and maximizing the benefits of drug repurposing.