Every Person's Guide to Drug Repurposing
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What has worked?

Home/What has worked?
What has worked?oogly2015-05-20T20:21:24+00:00
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Nutraceuticals & Familial Dysautonomia

Examples

Nutraceuticals & Familial Dysautonomia

Examples

Amy Conn2015-06-01T16:52:21+00:00

Familial dysautonomia is a debilitating pediatric disorder characterized by symptoms such as cardiovascular problems, increased sensitivity to pain and temperature, gastrointestinal dysfunction and increased occurrence of pneumonia. If left untreated, most children with the disease […]

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Celebrex & Colorectal Polyps

Examples

Celebrex & Colorectal Polyps

Examples

Amy Conn2015-06-01T16:16:55+00:00

Anyone who has seen a commercial for the popular drug Celebrex knows of its effectiveness in osteoarthritis, a disease characterized by bone damage, chronic pain, and decreased range of motion. The drug’s mechanism of action […]

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Metformin & Breast Cancer

Examples

Metformin & Breast Cancer

Examples

Amy Conn2015-05-22T04:51:37+00:00

Metformin, a common diabetes drug that has been manufactured at low cost for years, has a long record of safety, effectiveness, and limited side effects in diabetics. In the mid-2000s an interesting discovery was made and […]

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ATRA & Leukemia

Examples

ATRA & Leukemia

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-22T01:51:38+00:00

Another cancer treatment success story involves the repurposing of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a chemical compound historically used in medications that treat severe acne. Though it does not have anti-cancer properties when used alone, ATRA has been combined […]

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Minocyline & Fragile X Syndrome

Examples

Minocyline & Fragile X Syndrome

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-22T01:52:59+00:00

Repurposed treatments have also been discovered for sufferers of Fragile-X syndrome, a genetic disorder that leads to cognitive disabilities. Many patients with this disease experience anxiety and mood-related symptoms. Minocycline, a common antibiotic used to treat acne and […]

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Itraconazole & Cancer

Examples

Itraconazole & Cancer

Examples

Amy Conn2015-05-22T01:54:42+00:00

The anti-fungal compound itraconazole was developed in the 1980s, and suppresses fungal growth by inhibiting membrane function in fungal cells (1). But a 2007 study showed that the drug also has potent anti-cancer properties (2). Further […]

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Methrotrexate & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Examples

Methrotrexate & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-21T15:47:05+00:00

Dose adjustments to existing treatments
The effects of certain drugs can vary greatly based on dosage, making them ideal candidates for repurposing research. Methrotrexate was developed as a chemotherapy drug in the 1950s and has since been administered at […]

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Thalidomide & Multiple Myeloma

Examples

Thalidomide & Multiple Myeloma

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-22T02:11:55+00:00

Dangerous originally, repurposed safely
One reason for the low success rate of novel drug development is the high percentage of adverse side effects found in late-stage clinical trials. However, failed drugs can be repurposed for different diseases with […]

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Rapamycin & Paediatric Blood Disease

Examples

Rapamycin & Paediatric Blood Disease

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-22T02:16:25+00:00

Repurposing generics for rare diseases
Drug development is a business, and those who synthesize new compounds often do so for large populations to maximize payoff. Unfortunately, this means that very rare diseases are often not the […]

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Chloroquine & Lung Cancer

Examples

Chloroquine & Lung Cancer

Examples

Graham Dover2015-05-22T02:23:39+00:00

Advancements in treatment have also been made by combining new drugs with repurposed old drugs that can enhance therapeutic effects or specificity. Chloroquine, a drug that has historically been used to treat malaria, has recently been combined with a new […]

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acne ALS Anemia antibiotic antifungal anxiety ATRA Blood Cancer Cancer Celebrex Chemotherapy Children Chloroquine colon cancer colorectal polyps Cost of Treatment COX-2 Cures Within Reach diabetes Dosage change drug repurposing Familial Dysautonomia Fragile X Johns Hopkins University Lung Cancer metformin Methrotrexate Minocycline Morning Sickness Multiple Myeloma Nutraceuticals osteoarthritis Pediatric Blood Disease pediatrics promyelocytic leukemia Rapamycin Rare Diseases Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatology Side Effects Stanford University Supplements Tarceva Thalidomide Transplants
"There are hundreds of possibilities still open where we don’t need to construct, design, identify or screen anything new. We just need to go into our chemical libraries, our papers, and our patents and see what is hanging around."
Hermann A.M. Mucke
"Imagine what could happen if we used the same model of drug repurposing for the thousands of other rare—and not so rare—diseases out there for which there is no treatment. Imagine the impact on the health of the patients, and the impact on the economy and the healthcare system. All of a sudden, we’d be saving millions in unnecessary care."
Dr. Bruce Bloom

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