Drug Repositioning: Current Advances and Future Perspectives

Book excerpt: Drug repositioning is the process of identifying new indications for existing drugs. At present, the conventional de novo drug discovery process requires an average of about 14 years and US$2.5 billion to approve and launch a drug. Drug repositioning can reduce the time and cost of this process because it takes advantage of drugs already in clinical use for other indications or drugs that have cleared phase I safety trials but have failed to show efficacy in the intended diseases. Historically, drug repositioning has been realized through serendipitous clinical observations or improved understanding of disease mechanisms. However, recent technological advances have enabled a more systematic approach to drug repositioning. This eBook collects 16 articles from 112 authors, providing readers with current advances and future perspectives of drug repositioning.