Drug repurposing shows promise in the treatment of retinal degenerations, according to a new study by an international team of researchers, published in Nature Communications . A combination treatment incorporating three existing drugs - tamsulosin, metoprolol and bromocriptine - slowed disease progression in pre-clinical retinopathy models. Drug repurposing refers to the use of existing drugs to treat diseases or conditions which they were not originally developed or approved for.
The new study focused on drug repurposing in the context of inherited retinal degenerations, IRDs. IRDs are a group of genetic diseases that cause the deterioration of retinal anatomy and function, leading to gradual loss of vision and often blindness. Most IRDs are currently inaccessible therapeutically, comprising an unmet medical need for a substantial population worldwide.
A combination treatment incorporating three drugs slowed disease progression The researchers found that a combination treatment incorporating three drugs significantly slowed disease progression and decreased disease manifestation in four different animal models of IRD. The combination included the blood pressure and heart failure drug metoprolol, and tamsulosin, which is used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as the nowadays less commonly used Parkinson's disease drug bromocriptine. "In drug repurposing, it does not matter to which diseases or conditions the drugs were originally developed for, but i.