Researchers from Monash University have reviewed the use of real-world clinical data to identify new indications for existing medications, also known as ‘drug repurposing’.
Drug repurposing can be a faster and more cost-effective approach compared to developing new medications from scratch, and in Australia, it is one of the 2020 – 2022 Medical Research and Innovation Priorities.
Examples of drugs that have successfully been repurposed in recent years include thalidomide for multiple myeloma and dimethyl fumarate for multiple sclerosis. Baricitinib, which is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and tocilizumab, also used for a range of arthritic conditions, have been repurposed to treat some COVID-19 patients who have experienced a significant inflammatory response.
The review’s first author, pharmacist and Monash Centre of Medicine Use and Safety PhD candidate, George Tan, said: “The use of existing regulatory drugs for another indication via drug repurposing pathways is a promising alternative to the long and arduous journey that is novel drug discovery, the key is unlocking which existing medications have the potential to be repurposed.
“Real-world clinical data has great potential to identify new medications that could be repurposed. This includes data routinely collected when you see your doctor, get a prescription filled at your local pharmacy, or get admitted to hospital.
“After reviewing a total of 250 articles worldwide, we found studies on data mining for novel drug repurposing ideas and studies to confirm existing repurposing hypotheses. These studies applied different methodologies, from traditional cohort study designs to cutting-edge data-mining techniques.”
The team has also identified key challenges faced by researchers and industry when using real-world clinical data in drug repurposing.
These challenges included isolated data sources, high prevalence of false signals from data mining, risk of bias in studies confirming repurposing hypotheses, and poor translation into regulatory approvals.
“Despite these challenges, the future looks promising with increasing data linkage across jurisdictions, knowledge integration in data mining techniques, use of validated methodologies to minimise bias in studies, and recent supportive initiatives by regulatory authorities worldwide.”
To read the full review, entitled Drug repurposing using real-world data: an opportunity to harness big data in health care for new indications of approved drugs, visit: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359644622004159?dgcid=coauthor.
Text by: Monash University.
