Drug Repositioning Strategies for Refueling the Pipeline

Drug companies have historically found new indications for their existing drugs serendipitously. Now, however, to refuel product pipelines and improve profi t margins, many companies are turning to low-risk strategies such as drug repositioning. Biotech companies such as Dynogen, BrainCells, Gene Logic, and Xenogen are developing technology platforms that aid companies in the development of systematic approaches to this low-risk strategy. Questions Answered in This Spectrum Report: Many new in vivo, ex vivo, in vitro, and in silico drug repositioning approaches are just now emerging. Which approach is likely to have the greatest success in fi nding unexpected new indications for drugs? The pharmaceutical industry is beginning to adopt technologies based on metabolomics-the comprehensive analysis of metabolites. Which companies are pursuing metabolomics as their primary approach to drug repositioning? Gene Logic's Phase R Program covers the up-front costs of drug discovery for companies with which it partners. Has Gene Logic's risky strategy been successful in attracting partners? What other partnering strategies are repositioning companies actively pursuing? CombinatoRx has developed a high-throughput screening system to evaluate pairs of known compounds for specifi c diseases. What successes has CombinatoRx had in identifying new combinations of known drugs to be used in specific diseases? An essential part of the business strategy for repositioning compounds is ensuring a strong patent estate. What repositioned drugs are most likely to achieve the strongest patent protection? Please note, the PDF e-mail from publisher version of this report is for a global site license.

Additional Information

Scope:
In vivo technologies: real-time imaging, zebra fi sh modeling, and multiplexing.

Ex vivo technologies: kinetic markers and metabolomics.

In vitro cell-based technologies: genetically engineered cell lines and high-throughput screening.

In silico technologies: computer simulations and database analyses.

Repositioning approaches: technology platforms enabling a systematic approach to finding new uses for drugs; use of animal models, cell-based assays, computer simulations, and database analyses; pathway-based approaches; the “hypothesis-free” approach.

Strategies in drug repositioning: trends in repositioning efforts; intellectual property strategies; business models; licensing and collaborative partnerships.

Outlook: Big Pharma’s interest in drug repositioning; the promise of in vivo models; hopes for a powerful technology toolbox; repositioning of branded versus patented drugs.

Companies Mentioned in this Spectrum Report:

Abbott
ActivX Biosciences
Affymetrix GeneChip
AnalytiCon
Angiotech
Arachnova
Astellas
Asterand
AstraZeneca
Axiom Biosciences
Bayer
Bionaut Pharmaceuticals
BrainCells
Caliper Life Sciences
Celgene
Cephalon
Chronogen
CMIC
CombinatoRx
DanioLabs
Dynogen
Eli Lilly
Euroscreen
Forbes MediTech
Fovea Pharmaceuticals
Gene Logic
GlaxoSmithKline
HenKan Pharmaceutical
Company
High Q Foundation
Immune Control
Inpharmatica
Jenken Biosciences
Johnson & Johnson
KineMed
Lundbeck
Melior Discovery
Merck
Metabolon
Millennium
Pharmaceuticals
Mitsubishi Pharma
Novartis
Off-label.com
Organon
Othera Pharmaceuticals
Pharmagene
Phylonix Pharmaceuticals
PhytoHealth
Pfi zer
Roche
Sosei
Vastox
Vicus Therapeutics
Xenogen
Znomics
Zygogen