Drug repurposing Flashcards
What is the cost of drug development?
Over 2.5 billion dollars for a new on the market drug due to pre-human trials and clinical trials. The number of new drugs approved per billion US dollars spent on R&D has roughly halved every 9 years since 1950. (Erooms law).
How many drugs get final approval from making it to clinical trial stage 1?
<12%
How do you lower the cost of drugs?
Once the patent has ran out other companies can make the drug.
What is a biosimilar drug?
A drug that has the exact same medical effects as the original drug made. For biosimilar development only have to prove drug is the same as the original in kinetics, safety data.
Draw the triangles out for difference in cost between medicine development and biosimilar development.
Draw the triangles out for difference in cost between medicine development and biosimilar development.
What is drug repurposing?
The reuse of a previously used drug, or drug candidate for a different therapeutic use (indication).
Why does R&D of new drugs get abandoned by companies?
Low efficacy, safety problems, research design decisions, complex disease, poor market prospects, selection of wrong indication or population, placebo based trial issues and industry consolidation (company buys out a drug and abandons it to reduce competition).
Why is drug repurposing attractive?
Dependent on development stage of existing drug, existing safety and parameters known, efficacy. Compressed time to market, cost estimate 300-500M for a repurposed drug. New market opportunities.
How do you repurpose?
Serendipity (through retrospective clinical observations), purposeful screening of known compounds, off-label use, pharmacological analysis, in-silico screening based on knowledge of new target.
What was viagra originally for?
Silfenafil citrate. Originally used for angina. Attempt to open blood vessels to help with angina. Repurposed in 1998.
What was minoxidil repurposed to?
Originally for hypertension but repurposed to hair growth stimulation. Potassium channel opener but unsure of the mechanism behind why it stimulates hair growth.
What is thalidomide?
Used as a sedative but babies born with deformities of limbs. Transformed how drugs were evaluated, approved and licensed around the world. Now repurposed to treat tuberculosis but not given to pregnant women.
Where to hunt for information on old drugs?
Chemical libraries of FDA/EMA approved in use and retired from use drugs. Biomol, NINDs, sequoia libraries. Pharma chemical libraries (largely inaccessible).
What are biological drugs?
Include antibodies, receptor antagonists etc. i.e., are large macromolecules.
What is Rituximab?
Original indication: B cell lymphomas. Repurposed indications: autoimmune diseases. Wiping out B cells was also found to be successful in treating arthritis. Because new B cells form that aren’t harmful. Don’t develop symptoms as rapidly. Could completely eliminate disease.
