Drug Repurposing: History, Significance, Benefits, Approaches, and Challenges

Drug repurposing, also referred to as drug repositioning or reprofiling, is the process of finding new therapeutic uses for already approved drugs by regulatory bodies. This approach is gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical industry and academics due to its potential to save time and money in drug development. By identifying new uses for existing drugs, researchers can expedite the process of bringing new treatments to market and address unmet medical needs more efficiently. This chapter explores the concept of drug repurposing, the approaches used for drug repurposing, its advantages, and the challenges of drug repurposing.