Cancer Drug Repositioning

Development of new cancer drugs is an extremely costly process. Repositioning of already approved substances can in some cases open up treatment possibilities for groups of patients when there are no other options left.

Currently, repositioning of drugs is partly hampered by the high costs involved in performing necessary clinical trials. When no commercial sponsor of the trials is available, healthcare and patients risk being left with an opportunity they cannot pursue. However, drug development based on repositioning, as well as individual patient use of drug repositioning candidates, run into problems from scientific, economic, ethical and healthcare resources points of view.

New strategies are needed, including more efficient study designs, that allow for more patients to participate to the possible benefit for both themselves and for scientific progress in the field.

This workshop aims to initiate a dialogue on the first steps to take towards a strategy for making drug repositioning clinical study designs more accessible and more attractive, as well as principles for the use of candidates for drug repositioning as last line treatment in an ‘innovative practice’setting, considering i.a. scientific and ethical points of view.

Inspirational Speakers: Professor Stefan James, Uppsala Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Dr. Pan Pantziarka, Anticancer Fund, Belgium

Link to chapter in pre-conference report

Workshop leader: Peter Nygren, Uppsala University Hospital and Uppsala University