Challenge: Existing medicines offer opportunities for new applications (drug repurposing), particularly for conditions with no or inadequate treatments.

In the Netherlands, the ZonMw programme “Rational Pharmacotherapy (Goed Gebruik Geneesmiddelen)” is one of the initiatives that support research into the effectiveness of drugs for new uses. This research shows that existing drugs can effectively meet unmet treatment needs. Drug repurposing is promising because these therapies can become available to patients relatively quickly and cheaply, compared to innovative (often expensive) drugs, as these therapies are typically non-patented and inexpensive, and already well-known.

The use of these already available and affordable therapies for unmet treatment needs presents a significant opportunity with considerable societal value. A barrier to delivering these repurposed drugs to patients is the lack of a sustainable pricing and reimbursement system. Providers face risks and disincentives due to low prices, inadequate reimbursement, and the lack of an exclusive position in a highly competitive market. This situation hampers initiatives and necessary investments in drug repurposing, hampering the potential of repurposing from being realised and causing patients to miss out on valuable treatments.

Objective: To identify and describe robust policy solutions that enable a sustainable business model for drug repurposing initiatives, including a description of current barriers and possible solutions the government and other stakeholders can implement to remove disincentives for repurposing within the frameworks of drug approval, pricing, and reimbursement.

Project Status: This project started in early March 2023 and was completed in November 2023. The results were presented to the Minister of Health Welfare and Sports on November 23^rd, 2023.

Executor(s): Finitor Consultancy

Partners: TIOfarma and BOGIN

Role of FAST: FAST is the initiator and sponsor of this project, advising the project team and involving stakeholders in its execution.

English version