AccScience Publishing / ITPS / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/itps.3721
PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE

The crucial role of drug repositioning in tackling Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, and leishmaniasis

Exequiel O. J. Porta1*
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1 Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom
INNOSC Theranostics and Pharmacological Sciences 2024, 7(4), 3721 https://doi.org/10.36922/itps.3721
Submitted: 21 May 2024 | Accepted: 23 September 2024 | Published: 15 October 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and leishmaniasis, disproportionately affect low-income populations in tropical and subtropical regions, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates. Consequently, these diseases, historically overlooked in global health agendas, perpetuate cycles of poverty and impede economic development. Drug repositioning, the repurposing of existing drugs for new therapeutic uses presents a promising strategy by reducing drug development time and cost while leveraging known safety profiles. However, despite its success in other therapeutic areas, this approach remains underutilized for NTDs due to challenges such as a limited drug pool, intellectual property barriers, regulatory complexities, and ethical concerns. Essential strategies to overcome these obstacles include expanding approved drug libraries, fostering multi-sector collaborations, streamlining regulatory processes, and adopting innovative funding models. Collaborative efforts among governments, pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and non-profit health organizations are crucial to fully unlock the potential of drug repositioning. By working together as a united front, these stakeholders can ultimately transform NTD treatment and improve global health outcomes.

Keywords
Chagas disease
Drug repositioning
Drug repurposing
Leishmaniasis
Neglected tropical diseases
Parasitic diseases
Sleeping sickness
Funding
This study is supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC) of the United Kingdom for the fellowship award.
Conflict of interest
The author declares no competing interests.
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INNOSC Theranostics and Pharmacological Sciences, Electronic ISSN: 2705-0823 Print ISSN: 2705-0734, Published by AccScience Publishing