Drug repositioning (also known as drug repurposing, drug re-profiling, therapeutic switching and drug re-tasking) is the application of known drugs and compounds to new indications/diseases. Drug repositioning has been growing in importance in the last few years as an increasing number of drug development and pharmaceutical companies see their drug pipelines drying up and realize that many previously promising technologies have failed to deliver as promised.
Using drug repositioning, pharmaceutical companies have achieved a number of successes, for example Pfizer's Viagra in erectile dysfunction and Celgene's thalidomide in severe erythema nodosum leprosum. A significant advantage of drug repositioning over traditional drug development is that since the repositioned drug has already passed a significant number of toxicity and other tests, its safety is known and the risk of failure for reasons of adverse toxicology are reduced. Repurposed drugs can bypass much of the early cost and time needed to bring a drug to market.
SOM Biotech owns an in-silico technology solution that identifies new biological activities of a given drug. A typical SOM repositioning program lasts 9 to 16 months, being, probably, the most efficient way to maximize the efforts to cure diseases through the development of available chemical entities.
Using drug repositioning, pharmaceutical companies have achieved a number of successes, for example Pfizer's Viagra in erectile dysfunction and Celgene's thalidomide in severe erythema nodosum leprosum. A significant advantage of drug repositioning over traditional drug development is that since the repositioned drug has already passed a significant number of toxicity and other tests, its safety is known and the risk of failure for reasons of adverse toxicology are reduced. Repurposed drugs can bypass much of the early cost and time needed to bring a drug to market.
SOM Biotech owns an in-silico technology solution that identifies new biological activities of a given drug. A typical SOM repositioning program lasts 9 to 16 months, being, probably, the most efficient way to maximize the efforts to cure diseases through the development of available chemical entities.
