Revising EU pharmaceutical legislation: will it foster drug repurposing?

Abstract

Repurposing off-patent drugs can be a potential source of low-cost treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. Here, we review the proposed new European Union (EU) pharmaceutical legislation in which two articles address drug repurposing. We find certain barriers hindering the adoption of these new incentives by academic and not-for-profit stakeholders, including lack of knowledge on regulatory aspects, pharmacovigilance, and restrictions in data protection. To further empower the intended stakeholders of the legislation, these initiatives can be strengthened by creating additional scientific, regulatory, and health technology assessment (HTA) support for not-for-profit repurposers, and by determining fair data protection periods and pricing policies. To support drug repurposing, Europe should work toward a comprehensive drug-repurposing strategy that fosters the repurposing of generic, shelved, and protected drugs.