Drug repurposing: testing a drug approved for one disease for its efficacy in another

Can a drug developed for another condition be used as an effective medication for Parkinson’s? This month’s free webinar from the Michael J Fox Foundation investigates.

The latest instalment of the Michael J Fox Foundation’s Third Thursday webinar series will focus on repurposing existing drugs to treat Parkinson’s.

In this episode host Dave Iverson, principal moderator for Partners in Parkinson’s, will talk to Michael J Fox Foundation CEO Todd Sherer about how Parkinson’s can benefit from treatment used for other conditions.

In the eight-minute preview, available to listen to here, Todd Sherer says: “The goal of repurposing is to take a drug with one use and see if we can find additional uses. Specifically we are looking at drugs that are already available, based on an understanding of the way that drug works we are looking to see if we can apply that drug to treat other diseases.”

Developing drug treatments for neurological conditions is a costly process, taking on average approximately 13 years and $2 billion. However, repurposing medication can provide a faster route to treatments as the drugs have already been approved.

It’s free to join the live webinar – just register here up to 15 minutes before it starts at 12:00 EST on 20 July. Listeners are encouraged to engage with the discussion in real time. If you miss the live broadcast, you can catch up via the recording in the library archive here.

Read more: The challenges and treatment of Young-Onset Parkinson’s

How to combat sleep problems caused by Parkinson’s