Drug repurposing matured in the last decades as a strategy to identify new indications for well-established molecules to address unmet medical needs. The Covid-19 pandemic highlights its importance as a potential strategy to deliver safe, effective and affordable medicines with significantly shorter timelines compared to traditional R&D. Repurposing can be applied across a wide range of diseases, including those where other R&D approaches have failed to provide solutions for patients (e.g rare tumors or neurological diseases). This opportunity was recognized by policymakers in the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe and with the STAMP pilot project, which will inform possible regulatory action for the promotion of drug repurposing.
 Despite promising policy steps, increasing funding and research attention, systemic inefficiencies for repurposing in the EU remain: 1) a fragmented and siloed R&D environment without an identifiable value chain for patient-centric repurposing; 2) heterogeneous quality and access to reliable computational tools using standardized datasets; 3); health technology assessment, pricing and reimbursement barriers; 4) non-alignment of the regulatory landscape with repurposing needs.
 Thus, more is needed to promote specific evidence generation efforts, address the issue of off-label use of repurposed medicines and build a policy environment that facilitates and rewards continuous innovation on well-established molecules.
 This session will bring together regulators, patient advocates, policy makers and industry representatives to explore how to advance the European repurposing ecosystem. Panelists will build on the lessons learnt to date from the STAMP pilot to assess how the regulatory landscape should evolve and identify sustainable strategies to bolster repurposing in the EU. A particular focus will be on enablers of long-term synergies, such as the recently-launched EU Horizon funded REMEDI4ALL platform.

Medicines repurposing: moving from an emergency solution to a sustainable strategy to address unmet medical need

For it's 35th anniversary, DIA Europe is back in Basel, where all thought leaders meet in person to discuss, inspire, and network.

Join us in Basel: March 22-24, 2023

DIA Europe 2023 is designed to drive insights into action by connecting key policy discussions to real-world knowledge that you need for your everyday job. Your participation will accelerate your growth and your organization's performance in the drug development ecosystem.

Gathering innovative thought leaders from the entire life science landscape, DIA always has the aspiration to be ahead of current developments, reflected by 4 new content tracks in 2023:

- Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
- EU Health Policy and Regulatory Strategy
- Medical Devices and Combination Products
- Professional Development

DIA Europe 2023

A global, member-driven non-profit organization mobilizing life sciences and healthcare. DIA fosters innovation to improve health and well-being worldwide. Professionals from 80 countries continue to engage with DIA through our unparalleled membership network, educational offerings, and professional development opportunities.