Can old drugs learn new tricks? Achieving registration and public subsidy listing for off-patent medicines with novel therapeutic applications.

With the increasing costs of drug development, repurposing of low-cost medicines for new indications has never been more important. However, there are multiple barriers to repurposing, particularly for off-patent medicines, and limited incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to sponsor registration and public subsidy listing. Here, we explore these barriers and their consequences and provide examples of successful repurposing strategies.