Drug Repurposing

Drug repurposing accelerates therapeutic development with multiple high-profile successes. The session covers metformin in cancer and aging (TAME trial, MILES trial), sildenafil in pulmonary hypertension as canonical example, semaglutide beyond diabetes (multiple new indications), fenofibrate in diabetic retinopathy (FAME extensions), AI-driven repurposing platforms (BenevolentAI baricitinib in COVID), and drug-rescue trial design. Discussion addresses the regulatory pathway for repurposed drugs (505(b)(2) in US, hybrid in EU), IP and exclusivity considerations, academic-led repurposing, repositioning vs reformulation, and emerging connectivity-mapping platforms.