Repurposing of Drugs: Updates and New Perspectives

Abstract

Drug repurposing is an innovative drug discovery technique that looks for new therapeutic advantages in previously used, shelved, and clinically tested medications. This strategy is now gaining traction as a way to get around the financial, timing, and resource bottlenecks that plague traditional drug development. Several efforts have been undertaken in this respect to develop stratagems based on bioinformatics and computational technologies to speed up the repurposing process. A number of novel computational tools have evolved to enable systematic repurposing screenings, both experimentally and through in silico techniques. Access to molecular data, adequate analytical knowledge to provide strong insights, knowledge and experimental set up for validation, and clinical development know-how are all required for a successful medication repurposing pipeline. This review presents the benefits, considerations, and obstacles in repurposing as a drug development strategy adopted by pharmaceutical companies.