Drug repurposing: giving drugs a second life

Authors

  • Mayra Lozano-Espinosa Departamento de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Cuajimalpa. Vasco de Quiroga 4871, Alcaldía Cuajimalpa de Morelos, 05348, Ciudad de México, México.
  • Arturo Rojo-Domínguez Departamento de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Cuajimalpa. Vasco de Quiroga 4871, Alcaldía Cuajimalpa de Morelos, 05348, Ciudad de México, México.

Keywords:

Drug repurposing, pharmaceutical innovation, public health

Abstract

Some drugs are not limited to the function for which they were originally designed. In certain cases, drugs developed for one disease reveal unexpected effects that make them useful for treating entirely different conditions. Drug repurposing takes advantage of this versatility by reusing well-known drugs, reducing the time and cost required to develop new therapies. Supported by computational tools, biological network analysis, and advanced cellular models, this approach gained particular relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drug repurposing shows that reusing existing knowledge can become a key strategy for innovation in health.

References

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Published

2026-06-19

How to Cite

Lozano-Espinosa, M., & Rojo-Domínguez, A. (2026). Drug repurposing: giving drugs a second life. Revista De divulgación científica IBIO, 8(3), 340. Retrieved from https://revistaibio.com/ojs33/index.php/main/article/view/340

Issue

Section

Hot Science