Talking about innovations our mind always thinks about something new but little do we know that one of the most impactful changes happening today is not because of the development of totally new molecules rather using drug repurposing technique. Medicine or molecules that already exists are being tested for treating new diseases. Because of their already known safety profiles and ADME it is quite easy to perform clinical trails.
During COVID-19, various repurposed drugs entered the clinical trials within weeks. Recently, researchers have found that some antidepressants and antiparasitic drugs may improve cancer treatment outcomes and can used during chemotherapy. Despite this, drug repurposing receives less funding due less commercial appeal. Innovation does not always mean invention. Sometimes it means looking again at what we already have and asking better questions.
MBH/PS