Drug repurposing, also known as drug repositioning, has risen in prominence as a practical strategy in the drug development pipeline. This approach capitalizes on already approved drugs or previously studied but unapproved drugs to treat new disease indications. This strategy for drug development has seen increased attention in recent years, particularly owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which several repurposed drugs were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for treating the disease. Drug repurposing is generally considered a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to conventional drug development processes. Given that the complex earlier stages of de novo drug development that establish drug safety have already been completed, many experts claim that drug repurposing is faster, cheaper, and has higher success rates. However, despite its promising potential, drug repurposing is not without its obstacles. Complexities arising from intellectual property rights, reformulation issues, regulatory hurdles, and financial incentives, among others, can pose significant problems for repurposed drugs.

By shedding light on both the opportunities and challenges associated with drug repurposing, this Research Topic aims to develop new ideas and discussions that can propel the field forward, and make steps towards more effective treatments and cures.

This Research Topic encourages submissions that cover, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• How cutting-edge technology and advanced data analysis techniques are being leveraged for the identification of new use cases for existing drugs
• The role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and bioinformatics in expediting the drug repurposing process
• Real-world examples of successful drug repurposing ventures that have resulted in life-saving treatments
• Innovative ways by which challenges could be addressed to help realize the full potential of drug repurposing

The following article types are welcomed to this collection: Brief Research Report, Correction, Data Report, Editorial, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review, Technology and Code

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Frontiers in Pharmacology

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