Reposicionamento de Fármacos: Novos Usos para Fármacos Antigos - Uma Breve Revisão e Principais Exemplos de Fármacos Reposicionados

Resumo

The repositioning of drugs (also called drug repurposing, drug repositioning or drug reprofiling) is
the establishment of new therapeutic uses for already known drug molecules, including approved,
discontinued or experimental drugs. This term is relatively new, with the first publication in 2004,
but it has gained much prominence in recent years and mainly from the year 2020 due to the health
emergency caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Given the time and cost involved in the development of a
new drug, repositioning represents a crucial strategy, especially in response to health emergencies and
for neglected or rare diseases. This paper provides a literature review on the topic, focusing on definitions
and highlighting its advantages over conventional drug development strategies. It also addresses legal
considerations associated with drug repositioning, as well as issues related to off-label drug use and
their ethical implications. The discussion includes successful examples of repositioned drugs, such
as Thalidomide, Sildenafil, Minoxidil, Acetyl Salicylic Acid, Zidovudine (AZT), the combination of
Nifurtimox and Eflornithine, and Duloxetine.