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Drug repurposing, in which an established active pharmaceutical ingredient is applied in a new way — for example, in a new presentation, often combined with a new therapeutic indication — is an evolving strategy for pharmaceutical R&D. This article discusses each aspect of this strategy, highlighting commercial successes that have arisen from a focus on the presentation and therapeutic use of known active ingredients or slight variations of these compounds.
Although the potential of 'personalized medicine' to increase the quality of clinical care and decrease health-care costs has been recognized for many years, only a handful of associated diagnostic tests have made it to market so far, with mixed success. This article proposes that the major challenges to the further adoption of personalized medicine are increasingly related to economics, and discusses strategies that could help address these challenges.
