Drug Repurposing and Orphan Disease Therapeutics

*Neha Dhir, Ashish Jain, Dhruv Mahendru, Ajay Prakash and Bikash Medhi*

## **Abstract**

Drug repurposing (or drug repositioning) is an innovative way to find out the new indications of a drug that already exists in the market with known therapeutic indications. It offers an effective way to drug developers or the pharmaceutical companies to identify new targets for FDA-approved drugs. Less time consumption, low cost and low risk of failure are some of the advantages being offered with drug repurposing. Sildenafil (*Viagra*), a landmark example of a repurposed drug, was introduced into the market as an antianginal drug. But at present, its use is repurposed as drug for erectile dysfunction. In a similar way, numerous drugs are there that have been successfully repurposed in managing the clinical conditions. The chapter would be highlighting the various drug repurposing strategies, drugs repurposed in the past and the current status of repurposed drugs in the orphan disease therapeutics along with regulatory guidelines for drug repurposing.

**Keywords:** drug repurposing, drug repositioning, orphan drug, orphan disease, a rare disease, regulatory guidelines

## **1. Introduction**

Despite rapid advancement in science and technology, translating these benefits for care and management of human diseases remains a far slower process than expected. Pharmaceutical industries, research and development (R&D) sectors are facing multifold challenges for taking out any new drug in the market including higher attrition rates, long time span and regulatory restrictions [1]. It takes \$2 to \$3 billion money and about 13–15 years for developing any new drug in the market with a low success rate of approximately 2% only [2, 3]. Drug development process involves six stages: (i) compound screening and identification of lead compound; (ii) preclinical study; (iii) investigational new drug (IND) application for taking approval to conduct trial in humans, only if preclinical data of the drug is found to be shows effective and safe in animals; (iv) clinical study (phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials); (v) new drug application (NDA) if the drug is found to be safe and effective in phase 3 clinical trials; and (vi) post marketing surveillance (PMS) for safety monitoring. However, drug repurposing consists of four stages only: (i) selection of target compound; (ii) clinical trial (phase 2 and 3); (iii) NDA application and (iv) PMS (**Figure 1**). Thereby' drug repurposing is a trending way to reduce the effort, cost and time at every step involved in drug development and thus provides an option to bring the new drugs into the market at relatively low investments (**Figure 1**) [3].

#### *Drug Repurposing - Hypothesis, Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Applications*

**Figure 1.** *Phases in drug development.*

#### **1.1 Drug repurposing**

'Drug repurposing' (or 'drug repositioning') is an effective way to find new targets or new indications of any drug that is already FDA approved and existing in the market. It is an excellent alternative over the *de novo* drug development process which is relatively time consuming and money involved procedure [4]. Since the data including drug efficacy, safety, bioavailability, route and formulation of administration, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) profile, toxicological data and associated adverse effects, are well known with already approved drugs. Thus, the evaluation process for drug candidates gets facilitated with drug repurposing and drug enters the clinical market for new therapeutic indications. Also, drug repurposing reduces the risk of development failure into the market, thus reducing the cost of the overall drug development process. At present, in the U.S approximately 30% of newly FDA approved drugs are repurposed only [5]. History witnessed numerous drug candidates that have been repurposed either opportunistic or serendipitous. Sildenafil is one of the blockbusters in the history of drug repurposing. Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, was introduced in the market in the 1980s by Pfizer for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension and angina pectoris. During phase-1 trials of sildenafil, it was observed that the patients suffered from marked penile erection. In 1988, the drug was repurposed and approved by FDA for erectile dysfunction in the US market after the drug failed to prove its efficacy in phase-2 trials in angina patients [6]. Another big hit example is thalidomide. In 1957, the drug was developed by German pharmaceutical company named Grünentha for treatment of motion sickness in pregnant women. Soon the drug was withdrawn from the market as its use lead to serious birth defects (malformations of the limbs) and death in approximately 10,000 children in around 46 countries. Subsequently in 2006, the drug was re-approved by FDA for the treatment of multiple myeloma [4]. In the 1960s, amantadine was developed as an antiviral drug to treat influenza infections. After a few years, a patient who was suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD) had taken amantadine for her flu infection. It was seen that the patient was having improvement in her PD symptoms after taking amantadine. From there, it has been concluded that the drug can be used in treating neurological disorders. Years later, amantadine received FDA approval for treatment of PD [7].

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**Table 1.**

*Examples of off-label drug use (OLDU).*

*Drug Repurposing and Orphan Disease Therapeutics DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91941*

"Off-label drug use (OLDU)" defines to prescribe the drug beyond the conditions for which the drug is holding the license for its market authorization. More specifically, off-label means using a drug for indications, dosage form, dose strength, route of administration or in that patient age group which are not approved by FDA [8]. FDA approves a drug to market only if it shows to be effective and safe in preclinical as well as clinical studies, refers to as "on-label drug use". However, OLDU is being extensively practiced by physicians in situations: first, when two therapeutic conditions possessing same pathophysiology; second, to treat any life-threatening condition where no treatment is available and thereby provide off-label use may be proven helpful to patient; and third, drug has not been studies in specific group or patient age (pediatrics, pregnancy or geriatric). There are many examples of drugs which have been prescribed commonly as "off-label" drugs

There is no defined definition for orphan diseases (ODs). In the US it is defined as if the disease prevalence affects less than 1 in <200,000, in Japan <50,000 and in Australia <2000. WHO defines the prevalence of less than 6.5–10 in 10,000 [10]. The drug which is used in the treatment of orphan disease is referred to as an orphan drug. For example; haem arginate, is being used to treat porphyria (acute intermittent, variegate and hereditary), ibuprofen to treat patent ductus arteriosus in neonates [11] and N-acetylcysteine for paracetamol poisoning. In orphan diseases (ODs) and their management, the count for orphan diseases exists approximately 6000 but the efforts that are putting off by pharmaceutical and R&D sectors for developing new drugs in their management are negligible cause the huge amount involved in *de novo* drug development [12]. Only 5% of pharmaceutical industries are taking interest in developing new drugs in orphan disease management [12]. At present, approximately 325 drugs are available in the market, which are being used to treat only 5% of orphan diseases. Drug

**Drug Class of drug Approved use Off-label use** Desmopressin Antidiuretic hormone Central diabetes insipidus Nocturnal enuresis

Aspirin NSAIDs Analgesic Antithrombosis in

Indomethacin NSAIDs Analgesic Closure of patent

Erythromycin Macrolide antibiotic Haemophilus and Legionella

Beta blockers Hypertension Migraine prophylaxis

Tricyclic antidepressant Depression Insomnia, Bulimia,

infection, whooping cough, atypical pneumonia

neuropathic pain symptoms

atrial fibrillation

ductus arteriosus

Gastroparesis

**1.2 Off-label use of drugs**

(**Table 1**) [9].

Atenolol, propranolol, metoprolol

Imipramine, amoxapine

**1.3 Orphan diseases and drugs**
