BY JOTISRI VASUDEVAN
Two distinct tracks have emerged in the race to treat cancer: drug discovery and precision drug repurposing. Think of it as the classic marathon versus an unexpected shortcut.
Drug discovery resembles an arduous marathon. Researchers, like dedicated runners, meticulously create new drugs from scratch. This journey involves designing molecules, conducting preclinical studies, and enduring lengthy clinical trials.
On the other hand, precision drug repurposing offers a shortcut. Existing drugs, originally meant for different purposes, are repurposed for their potential to fight cancer.
Dr Nurul Syakima Ab Mutalib, an associate professor and senior research fellow from the UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), told The Petri Dish recently: “Drug discovery can span over ten years, precision drug repurposing can be a powerful tool to discover new treatments for cancer patients and can be accomplished in as little as three years from identification to implementation.”
