India to play a crucial role in the supply of repurposed drugs globally

India to play a crucial role in the supply of repurposed drugs globally

- Prashant Khadayate

Currently, research on repurposed drugs is gaining importance amid worsening COVID-19 infection globally. Research into repurposed drugs is largely focussed on anti-malarials, anti-rheumatoid arthritis, and anti-HIV medicines. Additionally, research is focussed on vaccines (for example, mRNA- 1273), novel drugs including new chemical entities (for example, tradipitant) and new biological entities (for example, CMAB-806). However, vaccines and innovative drugs will take at least 12 – 18 months at the earliest to get the approval for COVID-19.

The drugs being used for repurposing are a relatively easier way of finding the treatment and prophylaxis option as repurposed drugs already have proven safety and efficacy in other indications compared to innovative drugs and repurposed drugs could be made available quickly if they are approved for COVID-19 by the regulatory bodies considering COVID-19 outbreak continues to affect many countries across the globe. Furthermore, the production capacity already exists for such largely generic drugs. Countries across the globe are looking for a quick solution for both treatment and prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection. Moreover, it is critical to find a solution now as the COVID-19 infection curve will take a few months to flatten out even in the best-case scenarios being projected by experts.

Repurposed drugs