Hospitals and universities repurposing drugs at 90% lower cost

Hospitals and universities are conducting late-stage clinical trials to repurpose existing drugs at costs up to 90% lower than pharmaceutical companies, by testing generic drugs for new medical uses outside the patent system. This parallel research system has successfully adapted drugs for different conditions—such as using cancer drugs to treat blindness or repurposing anti-inflammatory drugs for COVID-19—while reducing barriers to innovation through lower expertise, risk, and capital requirements. The research suggests this model has significant potential to provide patients with affordable treatments, and governments are beginning to formally recognize and support these programs.