Drug repurposing: Applying yesterday's solutions to tomorrow's problems
Bessi Qorri |
TEDxQueensU
• January 2020
We have accepted the importance of recycling such that it has become a part of our culture but adopting the same mindset in the world of pharmaceuticals has been anything but easy. Bessi confronts this challenge and discusses the paramount importance and value of drug repurposing in the treatment of diseases moving forward.
Using her own experience of an accidental discovery in the lab of a new use for a generic drug, she highlights the importance of drug repurposing for the treatment of diseases and how it ties into the principle of polypharmacology. Bessi discusses the shift in our approach to treating diseases due to the interconnectedness of the body and highlights well-known examples of drug repurposing. Although drug repurposing is both cost- and time-efficient compared to traditional drug discovery, there is still resistance in the field. Fortunately, technological advancements and our scientific understanding allow us to mine information so that we no longer have to wait and hope for serendipitous accidents.
Bessi makes the case that we are moving in the right direction towards getting effective treatment to patients faster, but that continued success will require a collaborative effort with academic groups, private companies, non-profits, and regulatory bodies.