DRUG REPURPOSING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) have discovered the potential to repurpose an antidepressant drug for cancer management. This finding opens new avenues for cancer treatment.

Drug Repurposing

• Definition: It involves using an existing drug or drug candidate for a new treatment or medical condition for which it was not originally indicated.
• Initial Development: Drugs are often initially developed to treat a different medical condition than the one they are eventually repurposed for.
• Side Effects: Drug molecules can indicate potential effectiveness in treating entirely different medical conditions.
• Established Safety: Repurposed drugs typically have established safety profiles in humans and are tested for efficacy in new diseases.
• Development: The process can expedite drug development by moving directly to preclinical and clinical trials, thus reducing risk and costs.

Importance of Drug Repurposing

• New Compound Identification: Repurposing can reveal new therapeutic uses based on phenotypic benefits, even without a defined mechanism of action.
• Preclinical Testing: Results from preclinical animal models can be more directly applicable to clinical research and applications.
• Reduced Risk: There is generally a lower risk of failure with repurposed drugs due to their established safety profiles.