Prospects of Repurposed Drugs in Diabetes Mellitus: A Current Update

Diabetes is a serious and chronic metabolic disorder that is a result of a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Diabetes mellitus has become a worldwide pandemic. Drug discovery has been complicated by the high cost and time required for developing new drugs/agents. In the last 30 years, the number of FDA-approved medications has declined, boosting interest in drug repositioning or repurposing. Repurposing existing drugs may be a significant tool for lowering the financial burden that most nations bear while treating diabetic mellitus. This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the repurposed pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus along with the diverse array of validation techniques employed in the process. For this review purpose, the authors have gone through a vast number of article sources from various scientific databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science. Drug repurposing led to the discovery of a few anti-diabetic drugs which has been widely used for other pharmacological effects. Several medications, including celecoxib, buspirone, berberine, diacerein, methazolamide, and bromocriptine, have been effective in treating diabetic mellitus by various mechanisms like decreasing insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, inhibiting glucagon secretion and improving insulin sensitivity. The field of drug repurposing exhibits significant potential in tackling the obstacles presented by T2DM and other complex diseases. The conventional approaches to drug development have often been characterized by prolonged durations and high costs, resulting in significant delays in the discovery of effective medicines for conditions like T2DM. However, the strategy of drug repurposing presents a more streamlined and economically advantageous method for drug development.