REPO4EU researchers launch SMART, the tool that simplifies decision models for healthcare innovation
Decision-analytic models play a vital role in healthcare, helping researchers, policymakers, and clinicians evaluate the cost-effectiveness and value of new interventions. Yet, building these models can be complex, especially in early-stage research or data-limited contexts such as drug repurposing or rare diseases.
To address this challenge, researchers in the REPO4EU consortium have developed SMART, a structured, step-by-step tool designed to guide users through making, reporting, and justifying simplified modelling choices tailored to specific decision contexts.
Teebah Abu-Zahra, Health Economics Researcher at Maastricht UMC+, led the development of the tool alongside other colleagues involved in REPO4EU. In this interview, she explains the motivation behind SMART, how it can support innovators and decision-makers, and what role it plays in advancing drug repurposing and precision medicine.
Hi Teebah! Can you tell us, in a few words, what is SMART?
SMART is a practical tool built to guide researchers through the process of making, reporting, and justifying simplified healthcare modelling choices, in a step-by-step structured framework. It helps users understand the trade-offs between the model’s simplicity, and its transparency and validity in each model feature. Overall, SMART promotes fit-for-purpose modelling that is appropriate for the specific decision context and the constraints that come with it.
What prompted the need to create this tool?
In short, SMART was born out of the need to make decision models more accessible, more transparent, and more useful for those who need it most, especially when time and data are in short supply.
When we first started this work, our goal was to develop practical guidance for researchers who aren't health economics experts but still need to use decision-analytic models to inform important healthcare decisions.
We were thinking not only of scientists and innovators working on drug repurposing research in academic settings or SMES, but of anyone who, despite having limited time, data or technical expertise, still needs to assess the value of their healthcare innovation.
Why is this important within a healthcare innovation context?
There is currently no clear accessible guidance tailored to developing decision models in contexts such as designing an early-stage intervention, testing a repurposed drug, or working in a resource-constrained setting.
Decision-analytic models are powerful tools in health economics, used to compare healthcare interventions based on their potential cost-effectiveness. They support decisions at all stages of development, from research prioritization to pricing and reimbursement. But building these models isn’t straightforward.
As we looked through the existing literature and resources, we saw a growing gap in supporting decision models development in contexts where simplicity isn’t just a preference, but a necessity.
Think, for example, of precision mechanism-based drug repurposing, where hundreds of drug-indication pairs need to be screened for potential value, often without clinical or cost data. Or rare diseases and health system planning in low- and middle-income countries, where timelines are tight and data is sparse. In these scenarios, simple early-stage models can provide immense value, by highlighting unmet medical needs, estimating societal value and guiding early pricing discussions.
Who are the end users of SMART?
We believe SMART will be valuable to a wide range of users — from health economic decision modellers all the way to regulatory bodies, health technology assessment agencies, peer reviewers, policymakers, clinicians, and even other healthcare decision makers.
Apart from enabling reviewers and users to better assess whether a model is suitable to inform healthcare decisions, we also see value in using SMART as a training and educational tool for non-experts in health economic decision modelling, including scientists, innovators and public health professionals.
Now that it’s been officially released, we’re excited to see how SMART will be applied in real-world settings to support more transparent, efficient and fit-for-purpose modelling.
How has it been received by the healthcare community so far? Have you had any feedback from peers who have used the tool yet?
Yes! One of my colleagues is already using SMART in her own modelling research paper. She’s conducting an early value assessment (EVA) to evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of seven digital technologies in addition to standard care in the United Kingdom; she said she found SMART very helpful to ensure transparent reporting and justification of the simple modelling choices.
We are also currently applying SMART in a REPO4EU pilot study involving patients with thyroid cancer. We can already see the value of our tool in guiding the development of a health economic decision model within a context of limited data and urgent need for new therapeutic options, as seen in patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer.
What was your role in the development of SMART? And who else was involved in the process?
I developed SMART from its initial concept through to design and implementation, with the continuous support and guidance from Manuela Joore and Sabine Grimm, both also from Maastricht UMC+. My primary responsibilities included identifying gaps in existing health economic modelling guidance, shaping the framework and content of the tool and conducting interviews and workshops to help guide the SMART development.
The whole process also benefited from the contributions of Mirre Scholte from Radboud UMC and others from the REPO4EU consortium, including Prof. Joe Loscalzo and Adam Raymakers from Harvard Medical School. Together we identified key features of health economic decision models based on reviewing key literature, established guidelines, and our collective expertise.
To facilitate consistent use of SMART, we also developed a glossary and applied the tool in an illustrative case for planning a health economic decision model for a repurposed drug for treatment-resistant hypertension.
While the core development was conducted at KEMTA (the Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment at Maastricht UMC+) we also obtained extensive feedback through in-depth interviews and expert workshops with health economic decision modellers and model users, which helped us massively in refining the tool and inform key development decisions.
How will SMART contribute towards the development of the REPO4EU Platform and the overall mission of the project?
With the support of the Egnosis team, SMART will be integrated into the REPO4EU Platform to make it directly accessible to researchers and innovators engaged in drug repurposing research.
With the help of SMART, alongside other essential HTA resources on the platform, we aim to empower these researchers to develop health economic decision models to assess the value of their innovations independently and efficiently. This, in turn, promotes a more transparent and systematic approach to health economic evaluation in mechanism-based drug repurposing and precision medicine development, ultimately supporting improved decision-making and resource allocation for developing new therapeutic options that address unmet patient needs.
The SMART tool
Can we make health economic decision models as simple as possible, but not simpler?
Sounds interesting?
Follow the link to access version 1.0 of the SMART tool
Drug Repurposing Next-Gen: Interview with Filipa Lopes (University of Porto)
Filipa Lopes is a specialist in Bioethics, with a background in Biology and Applied Microbiology. She’s currently pursuing her PhD as part of the Ethics team within REPO4EU, where she’s conducting rigorous ethical analysis to ensure all the activities carried by the partners in the project adhere to the highest ethical standards — from animal welfare to patient data protection. In this interview, Filipa shares her journey as a young bioethicist and reflects on the importance of conducting research responsibly.
The role of Bioethics in scientific research
Hi Filipa! Let’s start with the beginning of your scientific journey. What inspired you to pursue a career in science?
My journey started with a Bachelor's in Biology at the University of Porto, followed by a Master's in Applied Microbiology at the Catholic University of Portugal. It was during my master's thesis, where I explored the bioethics of genome editing, that I discovered my passion for bioethics. That interest led me to pursue further specialisation, including a post-graduate degree in animal welfare. Professionally, I worked in evidence-based veterinary medicine before joining REPO4EU as a research fellow focused on ethics. I've also taken courses in clinical and research ethics, which further shaped my perspective.
For those unfamiliar with the term, can you explain what bioethics is and why it's important?
Bioethics is, in short, the way to do science with rules and values. It provides researchers with principles and guidelines that help ensure their work is done responsibly. In the rush to publish or innovate, some might overlook ethical considerations, and that’s where bioethics steps in — to define boundaries, safeguard participants and protect the integrity of research.
And when it comes to powerful technologies like genome editing or AI, what are the key ethical concerns?
Technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 are revolutionary but also raise serious ethical questions. While they offer incredible opportunities, they can also be misused, even for things like bioterrorism. We must apply a precautionary principle — thinking through consequences, risks and societal implications before using such tools, especially in humans.
In the case of Artificial Intelligence, this is still a new world for many of us, and its ethical implications are vast. Issues like bias, transparency, and accountability need careful attention. We're still learning how to navigate this space, but our goal as bioethicists is to ensure that new tools are used responsibly.
You mentioned you did a post-graduate course in animal welfare. What attracted you about this area specifically?
Animal welfare is essential in clinical research. In Europe we have to follow very strict rules and adhere to the 3Rs: Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. This means we always strive to minimise animal use, improve their living conditions and replace them when alternatives exist. I’m very passionate about this subject because I do understand that, in some instances, it is necessary to use animals for research because it’s for a huge end — for example, for clinical trials for cancer — but we must do so respectfully and ethically, always.
Developing an ethics-by-design framework for REPO4EU
Let’s talk about your work in the REPO4EU project. What is your role within this European consortium?
I’m currently pursuing my PhD within the ethics team at REPO4EU. We take an ethics-by-design approach to create tools like ethics self-assessment templates for all work packages, helping researchers in the project identify and address ethical issues from the start. We also develop information sheets and consent forms tailored for clinical trials, organise training on research ethics and open science, and ensure compliance across sensitive topics such as data privacy, use of human tissue, animal welfare and the integration of AI.
You mentioned open science and research integrity, how do these two fit in?
Research integrity deals with values and norms that distinguish acceptable from unacceptable scientific behavior, while research ethics applies foundational principles to protect participants and ensure transparency. Open science, in turn, promotes inclusiveness and democratic access to knowledge. Together, they create a framework for ethical, responsible and impactful research.
Have you encountered any challenges in getting researchers to adhere to this ethical framework?
Thankfully, no. Most researchers involved in REPO4EU already had a strong understanding of the importance of ethics. The biggest challenge we face is staying updated with everything happening across such a large, multidisciplinary project; it takes time to connect with all work packages and ensure alignment, but it's essential for applying our ethics-by-design framework effectively.
And what has it been like working with such a diverse, transdisciplinary team?
It’s both exciting and complex. Each REPO4EU partner brings a different expertise and degree of knowledge across AI, clinical trials, legal frameworks… as bioethicists, we need to understand enough of each field to offer meaningful ethical guidance; this means constantly learning and adapting. But I really enjoy this aspect of my work, it's one of the most enriching parts of the project.
Advice for young scientists and future researchers
What’s one key message you’d like other researchers to take from our conversation?
Be a responsible researcher. Embrace integrity, curiosity, honesty and resilience — and above all, respect science and the people involved in it. It's not just about the results, but about how we get there. Ethics, values and norms should guide everything we do.
And, drawing from your own journey and experiences, what advice would you give to a young person thinking of pursuing a scientific career?
Follow what makes you happy. Science isn’t easy, especially in countries like Portugal where funding is limited, but if it’s your passion, go for it! Be aware of the challenges, but don’t let them stop you. Resilience and love for what you do will carry you forward.
REPO4EU: The Podcast
Our podcast brings listeners closer to the latest innovations, research and developments happening in drug repurposing across the globe. The first season, ‘Drug Repurposing Next-Gen’, spotlights the work of PhD researchers, post-docs and young investigators involved in REPO4EU, exploring their role in the project as well as their career journeys. New episodes will be released monthly. Stay tuned for the next one!
Drug Repurposing Next-Gen: Interview with Dr. Fernando Delgado-Chávez (University of Hamburg)
Dr. Fernando Delgado-Chávez is a bioinformatician and computational biologist with an expertise in generative AI, currently working as Junior Group Leader at University of Hamburg’s Institute for Computational Systems Biology (CoSyBio). In this interview he talks about his journey so far as a young and reputed scientist, how AI can truly become an ally for researchers, and how he’s using network medicine principles to build software systems for the REPO4EU platform.
Building a solid career in Bioinformatics
Hi Fernando! Let’s start at the beginning: what led you to pursue a career in science?
That’s always a tricky question, when you’re 18 no one really knows what they want to be doing for the next 40 years! But in my case, as a teenager, I was fascinated by biology. I was amazed by how cells store so much information in their DNA, this genetic “code” that makes up who we are. I’ve always been curious about how the body works at the microscopic level, and I knew I wanted to do something that could help people. I wasn’t suited to work in a hospital — I’m actually afraid of blood! — but I knew I could contribute through other areas.
You studied biotechnology and then specialised in bioinformatics and health biotechnology. For people unfamiliar with those fields, how would you explain what they involve?
Essentially, biology, medicine and computer science all go hand in hand now. Bioinformatics is about studying how cells work, not just piece by piece, but as a whole system and it involves lots of data processing; that’s where computer science comes in. We can now analyse huge datasets and understand complex diseases in ways that weren’t possible before. It’s definitely an exciting time to be doing this kind of work.
After your postgraduate studies, you decided to do a PhD instead of going into industry. What made you choose that path and what was the focus of your research?
What really drove me was my love of learning. A PhD is very different from previous studies, it requires a lot of self-guided discovery, digging deep into topics that interest you, and that autonomy really suited me.
My research was about understanding what goes wrong in our cells when complex diseases like cancer develop. I focused on analysing gene expression; essentially, which genes are being “switched on” or “off” in diseased versus healthy cells. It’s like working with massive spreadsheets of numbers that represent biological activity, and we used computational algorithms to identify disrupted mechanisms. The goal was to create a system for interpreting this data and finding new therapeutic targets.
You’re now based in Hamburg, working at the Institute for Computational Systems Biology. What does your current role look like?
I started in Hamburg as a postdoctoral researcher, continuing my work on algorithms and disease mechanisms. While working with the CoSyBio team, I’ve also discovered a new passion: generative AI. In my research, I now focus mostly on how tools like ChatGPT can make biomedical research more efficient. And as a Junior Group Leader, I also manage a small team of master’s and bachelor’s students, so I spend a lot of time mentoring, strategizing and collaborating. It’s a real mix of hands-on research and project management.
Generative AI is such a hot topic right now. What would you say to researchers who are skeptical or nervous about using these tools?
AI is transforming the way we work across so many industries, and it’s here to stay, but we need to learn how to make the most of it. In research, for example, there’s just too much information out there, hundreds of new papers are published every week and it would take a lifetime to catch up and read everything.
AI tools like DrugRepoChatter, which I spearheaded the development for, can help us sift through a high volume of scientific literature much faster, which in turn makes the whole research process more streamlined and efficient. Of course, responsible use is key. Just like we once had to learn how to use Google effectively, now we need proper training on how to use AI wisely.
Building the REPO4EU platform with a network medicine approach
Let’s talk about your involvement in REPO4EU. What’s your role in the project?
I’m part of Work Package 2, where we build the bioinformatics software that powers the REPO4EU platform. I work on designing user-friendly tools that help researchers analyse molecular data to identify the root causes of disease, using the principles of network medicine. But I also contribute beyond that. I see myself as a generalist, and I’m also passionate about science communication and user-centred design, which is something I bring to the table within the context of the project. I spend a lot of time talking to future users of the platform to make sure we’re building something truly useful.
One of the aspects I love the most about being part of this project is that I get to work with experts from many different disciplines: computer scientists, clinicians, legal experts, communication teams… It’s an amazing learning opportunity, and it reflects how science really works today — it’s never in isolation.
In a nutshell, what is the REPO4EU platform and who is it for?
The platform is still in development, but its goal is to streamline the entire drug repurposing process. First, it helps researchers analyse biomolecular data to identify what’s going wrong inside a patient’s cells. Then it helps find existing drugs that could potentially target those disruptions. From there, researchers can use the platform to plan and manage preclinical and even early-phase clinical trials, and it also provides guidance on patents and regulatory issues. It’s an all-in-one online hub for anyone working on drug repurposing.
Advice for young scientists and future researchers
You said earlier that you enjoy communicating about science and exploring creative ways of making research more accessible to others. Do you see science and creativity as areas that go hand in hand?
Definitely. Science is one of the most creative activities I can think of. We’re constantly thinking of new ideas, solving problems, and designing experiments. Creativity is essential to innovation, and I think there’s a huge overlap between artistic thinking and scientific thinking.
Actually, before diving into science, I worked as a wedding photographer and did a lot of social media content. I’ve always been passionate about visual storytelling, and I think that background really shaped my approach to science communication. I strongly believe that scientists should be more visible, we need to give science a face so people can see beyond the data and the numbers. Social media can be a great tool to bridge that gap, that’s why I’m very active on LinkedIn, because it’s a great way to share my work with wider audiences.
Let’s finish our conversation with a piece of advice for young people considering a career in science. What would you say to them?
Don’t be afraid of science. I wasn’t the best student in chemistry or maths, but I was passionate about biology and I stayed curious. Science teaches you how to think critically, how to solve problems, and how to collaborate. Even if you don’t end up working in science forever, the skills you gain will shape your thinking for life. If you’re curious and you love learning, then you’re probably already on the right path.
REPO4EU: The Podcast
Our podcast brings listeners closer to the latest innovations, research and developments happening in drug repurposing across the globe. The first season, ‘Drug Repurposing Next-Gen’, spotlights the work of PhD researchers, post-docs and young investigators involved in REPO4EU, exploring their role in the project as well as their career journeys. New episodes will be released monthly. Stay tuned for the next one!
Drug Repurposing Next-Gen: Interview with Johannes Kersting (Technical University of Munich)
Johannes Kersting is a bioinformatician and PhD student at DaiSyBio, the research group led by Prof. Markus List at the Technical University of Munich. In this interview he talks about his journey into bioinformatics, what motivates him as a researcher, and how he’s building a data-driven knowledge base for drug repurposing as part of his involvement in REPO4EU.
A clearly defined path towards Bioinformatics
Johannes, you’ve focused all your studies in Bioinformatics so far, including your degree, masters and now your doctorate. What first drew you to this field in particular?
What attracted me to bioinformatics was how it brings together so many scientific disciplines. I enjoyed science in school — especially problem-solving — but wasn’t sure which field to focus on. Bioinformatics offered a mix of biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and even physics. That interdisciplinary nature really appealed to me.
And what’s your favourite part about working as a bioinformatician?
I’ve always liked programming, so the computer science side was a big plus. But what really stood out was that bioinformatics is still a relatively young field. It emerged because biology started producing so much data that people needed new tools to make sense of it all. Since it’s still evolving, there’s a lot of room to contribute and shape the direction of the field, and that’s very exciting to me.
After finishing your masters, you chose to do a PhD, instead of going into industry. What made you take the academic route?
Mainly the chance for personal growth. In academia, you're constantly learning new things and being challenged with new problems. In the last two years alone, I’ve grown so much, not just in terms of knowledge, but in how I think and approach problems. That continuous learning is a big motivator for me.
What’s the main focus of your PhD research?
I’m studying gene regulation in the context of complex diseases. These diseases are often influenced by changes in how genes are regulated, so understanding those mechanisms can help us better understand disease progression — and ultimately improve treatments, including drug repurposing strategies.
Building a knowledge base for drug repurposing
Let’s talk a bit about your role in REPO4EU. What’s your main contribution to the project?
I work on the REPO4EU knowledge base. Drug repurposing relies on huge amounts of data, from drug-target interactions to side effects and disease associations. This information exists, but it’s scattered across different databases; our goal is to bring all of that together into a unified, accessible knowledge graph. That way, researchers across the project — and eventually, the wider scientific community — can work with the data more effectively.
On a day-to-day basis, what does this work entail?
It requires a lot of programming! I spend most days integrating new data sources, writing and testing code, and making sure everything is up to date. We’re building on an existing resource called NeDRex and extending it for REPO4EU. It’s very hands-on, which I really enjoy.
REPO4EU brings together people from a wide range of backgrounds — clinicians, software developers, legal experts, data scientists. Have you seen any benefits to being part of a diverse consortium?
I believe having an interdisciplinary approach in a project like REPO4EU is absolutely essential. Drug repurposing spans so many areas of expertise that no one person could master them all. You need people from pharmacology, biology, bioinformatics, software engineering, law, and more. Collaborating with people from other disciplines not only helps me solve problems more effectively, it also helps me see things from a different perspective. There are many examples I can think about that reflect this!
Is there one example in particular that comes to mind?
Yes, a small but funny one! A student in our group built a web tool that visualises gene interactions. We used technical gene identifiers that are easier for computers to handle. But then we got feedback from biologists in the project who said, “These numbers don’t mean anything to us!” So we changed it to use more readable gene names. It’s a great reminder that even if biotechnologists have a biology background, we’re not the end users, and working with peers from different disciplines help us achieve the best route that works for all of us.
Before joining REPO4EU, were you familiar with drug repurposing as a field?
Not really! I had a general idea, but I learned most of what I know now through my PhD and being involved in REPO4EU. What keeps me interested is how relevant this field is becoming. Drug repurposing won’t just be a “nice to have”, it will be a necessity. And like bioinformatics, it’s a young and evolving space, there are still many open questions, which means there’s room for creativity and innovation.
A word of advice for young researchers
Being a researcher can be challenging sometimes. What keeps you motivated to do what you do?
Honestly, I just really enjoy solving problems, that’s what drives me. It could be any research area — if there’s a challenge, I’m in. But I also draw a lot of inspiration from my team. Discussions with my supervisor, my colleagues at DaiSyBio, and collaborators in REPO4EU really help me develop and refine ideas. Those conversations are often where abstract concepts start to feel real, and it also helps me feel supported in my journey.
To wrap up, what advice would you give to a young researcher just starting out?
I’m still early in my career myself, so I don’t think I’ve been doing this long enough to give wise advice! But, if I have to say something that could’ve helped me at the beginning of my research career, I’d say: don’t get intimidated by how much you don’t know. That feeling is completely normal. When I started my PhD, I realised I knew way less than I thought I did — but that’s part of the journey. It gets better with time, and you really do learn something new every day. You’ll never know everything, and that’s okay.
REPO4EU: The Podcast
Our podcast brings listeners closer to the latest innovations, research and developments happening in drug repurposing across the globe. The first season, ‘Drug Repurposing Next-Gen’, spotlights the work of PhD researchers, post-docs and young investigators involved in REPO4EU, exploring their role in the project as well as their career journeys. New episodes will be released monthly. Stay tuned for the next one!
Calling for papers! Submit your research to our brand-new Network and Systems Medicine journal
About Network and Systems Medicine
Network and Systems Medicine is an open access, peer-reviewed journal focused on interdisciplinary approaches to exploiting the power of big data by applying network science and systems thinking to medicine. Network and Systems Medicine publishes high quality basic science, translational, and clinical research in the form of original research articles, comprehensive review articles, mini-reviews, rapid communications, brief reports, technology reports, hypothesis articles, perspectives, and letters to the editor.
The journal coverage includes:
- Network science applied to medicine
- Mechanism-based disease definitions, diagnostics and therapies
- Network medicine and network pharmacology
- Multiscale modeling and medical simulation
- Multiscale medical data science and computing
- Virtual patient repositories and data analytics platforms
- Big data analytics in precision medicine
- Clinical validation of systems medicine approaches (including quali-quantitative methods)
- Multiscale approaches, e.g. translational and qualitative research and psycho-sociological variables
- Implementing systemic management in medicine in organizations and integrated healthcare networks
- Educational and training articles in systems medicine and network medicine methodologies for clinicians
Call for papers
Learn more about key topics covered and the editorial board behind the Network and Systems Medicine journal
Contribute to Network and Systems Medicine
Explore all the details at Drug Repurposing Central and submit your research today!
Looking for a Premier Publishing Portal for Drug Repurposing Research?
Created as a joint enterprise by REPO4EU and ScienceOpen, Drug Repurposing Central is the premier publishing portal for researchers specializing in drug repurposing, network medicine and precision healthcare. Our portal provides a comprehensive list of resources collating the latest research, and offers multiple publication channels, including preprints, journal articles, conference abstracts, reports, and books.
DrugRxiv, as a cornerstone within Drug Repurposing Central, enhances the portal by allowing researchers to share preliminary findings rapidly. This unique collection supports the drug repurposing community by providing a dedicated space for early results, fostering collaboration and innovation.
Researchers can actively participate in sharing and discussion within an open review environment, powered by ScienceOpen’s innovative discovery infrastructure. Developed under the Horizon Europe project, REPO4EU, which aspires to establish a European Platform for Drug Repurposing with global outreach, Drug Repurposing Central offers unparalleled access to publishing and reading resources at no cost. This portal is steadfast in its commitment to advancing Open Science, ensuring the utmost integrity of research outputs through consistent use of persistent identifiers and XML standards.
Drug Repurposing Next-Gen: Interview with Dr. Ana Casas (University Hospital Essen)
Dr. Ana Casas is Assistant Professor in Neurology at University Hospital Essen in Germany, where she also leads a research group focused on network pharmacology for neurovascular diseases. In this interview she shares insights into her academic journey, challenges as a young researcher, and her involvement in the REPO4EU project as work package leader.
An academic journey fuelled by a passion for science
Ana, your academic background is fascinating—it combines neurology, pharmacology, and biotechnology. What led you to pursue these fields?
Like many scientists, I was driven by curiosity. As a kid, I loved learning how the body works. I was fascinated by forensic science TV shows, which sparked my interest in biology. When the time came to choose a degree, biotechnology was still new in Spain, but I decided to go for it. Later, during my studies, I became particularly interested in pharmacology—understanding how drugs work and how we can improve them. That led me to specialize in neuropharmacology during my master's.
For those unfamiliar with the term, can you briefly explain what neuropharmacology is?
Of course! Neuropharmacology focuses on the development and understanding of drugs that target neurological, psychiatric, and neurovascular disorders—such as stroke, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. In my case, I specialized in neurovascular diseases and the mechanisms underlying conditions like brain ischemia.
What made you look for new opportunities outside of Spain?
It was quite unexpected! During my master’s, I worked on a neurovascular disease in a lab that collaborated with Professor Harald Schmidt at Maastricht University, who is now the REPO4EU coordinator. When I was finishing my master’s, he offered me a PhD position. Two days after submitting my thesis, I moved to the Netherlands and started my PhD research.
What was the focus of your PhD?
I continued researching neurovascular diseases, but at a more mechanistic level—trying to identify specific targets and potential drugs to treat brain ischemia. My goal was to validate new therapeutic approaches for stroke patients.
Many young researchers would agree that PhD journeys are full of opportunities but also challenges. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced?
Science comes with constant challenges. You’re fighting the unknown, dealing with technical difficulties, and facing personal struggles. Moving abroad at 22, starting from scratch, handling bureaucracy in a foreign language—it was tough for me. But if there’s one thing a PhD teaches you, it’s resilience. You learn to cope with frustration, adapt, and always have a Plan B, C, or even D!
What kept you going?
Passion. Science isn’t just a job—it’s a vocation. You need to believe in your work, your field, and your team. That passion fuels you even in the toughest moments.
Joining REPO4EU and redefining the future of medicine
Let’s talk about REPO4EU. How did you get involved in this EU-funded initiative?
By the time REPO4EU started, I had moved to Germany, but I maintained my collaboration with Professor Schmidt. Given my expertise in preclinical research and animal studies, I was invited to join the project. It was a natural continuation of our work together.
What’s your role in the project?
REPO4EU is a large consortium covering everything from target identification to business development. My work focuses on preclinical validation—testing potential therapies in vitro and in vivo before they move to clinical trials. Essentially, we lay the foundation for later stages of drug development.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is key in such projects. How has working with experts from different fields influenced your approach?
It’s been a game-changer. Scientists often get stuck in their niche, but projects like REPO4EU push us beyond that. I work with clinicians, bioinformaticians, patenting experts, and business strategists—all with the shared goal of improving medicine. It’s a unique and enriching experience.
Drug repurposing has been gaining a lot of traction in the last few years. How does it feel to be part of this movement?
It’s incredibly exciting! Our work has the potential to redefine medicine—not just by accelerating drug development but by making treatments more accessible and efficient. Being part of something that can impact healthcare at a global level is truly rewarding.
A word of advice for young researchers
To wrap up, drawing from your own experiences, what advice would you give to young scientists considering a research career?
Fight for your passion. Science isn’t easy, and the path won’t be straightforward, but if it’s what you love, it will be worth it. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do—believe in yourself and push forward.
REPO4EU: The Podcast
Our podcast brings listeners closer to the latest innovations, research and developments happening in drug repurposing across the globe. The first season, ‘Drug Repurposing Next-Gen’, spotlights the work of PhD researchers, post-docs and young investigators involved in REPO4EU, exploring their role in the project as well as their career journeys. New episodes will be released monthly. Stay tuned for the next one!
REPO4EU launches DrugRepoChatter, an AI timesaver tool for drug repurposing researchers
Sifting through the vast amount of scientific literature can be overwhelming, especially in fast-evolving fields like drug repurposing, where the sheer volume of publications, databases and tools available can pose a significant challenge for researchers trying to stay up to date with all the latest releases.
In a bid to tackle this problem, experts from the REPO4EU Consortium have joined forces to develop DrugRepoChatter, an AI-powered tool that helps researchers navigate through the relevant literature for mechanism-based drug repurposing in a faster and more efficient way.
Dr. Fernando M. Delgado Chaves, Research Group Leader at University of Hamburg’s Institute for Computational Systems Biology (CoSyBio), spearheaded the development of the tool, working alongside REPO4EU partners from other institutions to bring it to fruition. Drawing from his expertise in bioinformatics and generative AI, he explains in this interview his approach to the design and the methodology he adopted to create DrugRepoChatter, offering an up-close view on how it works and its capabilities.
Hi Fernando! Congratulations for the successful launch of DrugRepoChatter.
What prompted the need to create this tool?
Honestly, it's the sheer explosion of scientific papers out there! Keeping up, especially in a field that's moving as fast as drug repurposing, is just… insane. As researchers ourselves, we were constantly drowning in papers, trying to find the right tools, methods, and insights. It felt like there was so much great knowledge, but it was all scattered and hard to access efficiently.
That's the real problem DrugRepoChatter solves. We wanted to build something that acts like your personal expert assistant, helping you cut through the noise and find the crucial information fast. Think of it as taking all that scattered knowledge and putting it into one place, making it super easy to get to what you need. No more endless PDF wading! You ask a question, and boom, you get answers grounded in solid, curated literature.
How do you envision researchers using it? Can you think of a specific scenario of when they would be accessing it?
Picture this: you're a researcher, maybe a bioinformatician or data analyst, and you're knee-deep in a drug repurposing project. You've got this awesome dataset, and you're wondering, "What computational tools are actually good for this kind of data?" Instead of spending days Googling and digging through papers, you just hop onto DrugRepoChatter and ask, "What are the best AI tools for analyzing transcriptomics data in drug repurposing?" Within seconds, the chatbot gives you expert-selected articles that break down the best methods, compare them, and even link you to the databases you need. It's like getting instant, expert advice.
Or, imagine you're a clinician or biomedical researcher. You've got unique patient data and you're trying to figure out the right analysis techniques. Instead of getting lost in literature reviews, you ask DrugRepoChatter,“Which databases can I use to find validated clinical biomarker discovery in neurodegenerative diseases?” And bam! You get curated insights, pointing you to the best approaches backed by solid research. It’s purely about making research faster and smarter.
What degree of knowledge do researchers need to have about AI tools? Do they need prior experience using other similar platforms?
Zero, nada! Honestly, we made DrugRepoChatter super simple on purpose. You absolutely do not need to be an AI guru or have used chatbots before. If you can type a question, then you can use DrugRepoChatter – it’s as simple as that. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, we wanted to make sure this tool is accessible to everyone.
The database contains 285 open-access articles, which have been selected by experts from the REPO4EU.
Who was involved, and what was the selection criteria?
It has been a joint effort, with many colleagues from across the whole REPO4EU Consortium involved.
We had experts from all over Europe – University of Hamburg (UHAM), Technical University of Munich (TUM), GeneSurge, STALICLA, University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Maastricht University (UM), even Concentris! It was a big group effort.
And the selection criteria were pretty rigorous. We used a structured annotation process in Paperpile, where 13 of us from six different institutions collaboratively labeled publications. We categorized reviews by focus – clinical, computational, tools. Databases had to be usable, either downloadable or via an Application Programming Interface (API). Methods and tools were classified by strategy, technique, and usability – code, package, graphical user interface, API.
Basically, we wanted things that were actually useful for REPO4EU’s work, especially our tasks in WP2 on real-world data-driven AI in drug repurposing. And of course, they had to be either highly cited – 30+ PubMed citations – or very recent, published in the last 5 years.
I want to take this opportunity to mention some of the key people involved in the curation: Markus List, Quirin Manz, Judith Bernett and Johannes Kersting from TUM; Michael Hartung, Andreas Maier, Olga Tsoy and myself from UHAM; Emre Guney, Montserrat Puiggròs and Francesco Sirci at STALICLA; Julia Guthrie from UNIVIE; Ruisheng Wang at BWH; Robert Löwe from GeneSurge; Hermann Mucke from HMPC; and Harald Schmidt from UM.
As a bioinformatician, what was your role in this whole process?
I spearheaded the development, really making sure DrugRepoChatter brought together cutting-edge AI with a user-friendly design for researchers from all sorts of backgrounds. I’m personally fascinated by large language models (LLMs), and I quickly realized they were a game-changer for how we access scientific info. Think about the time we’re saving researchers by using AI!
I worked closely with computational biologists, clinicians, data scientists within REPO4EU. Collaborators like Lisa Marie Spindler, Farzaneh Firoozbakht and Andreas Maier were key in building the backend, while our clinical partners helped us make sure it was really useful from a translational perspective. It was truly interdisciplinary, which is what makes this project so special.
Now that DrugRepoChatter has gone live, how has it been received by the research community so far?
Have you had any feedback from researchers who have used it?
We know many researchers have accessed it already and are actively using it, which has been really encouraging! The response is mostly about how much time DrugRepoChatter saves on literature searches – that's a big win. This feedback is gold for us because it helps us keep improving the tool, making sure it really meets the needs of the community. We’re still refining it based on what users are telling us, but yeah, overall the initial response has been great!
You mentioned earlier you wanted to make this tool accessible to everyone.
Why was this an important element in the conception of DrugRepoChatter?
We wanted to go a step further than just open access. We aimed to make this knowledge even more accessible by building tools that make it easy to find and use. And let's be clear: DrugRepoChatter, and tools like it, are completely dependent on open access science. Imagine trying to build this chatbot with articles locked behind paywalls – it's impossible! The chatbot needs to read the articles, to understand them, to answer questions based on them. That's why open science isn't just important for researchers; it's fundamental to creating the very technology that can democratize scientific knowledge and accelerate progress.
DrugRepoChatter
Discover our Drug Repurposing Chatting Expert and start a conversation
Want to learn more?
Read the research article 'DrugRepoChatter: A Drug Repurposing Expert Chatbot Curated by the REPO4EU Consortium’ on ScienceOpen
REPO4EU’s policy event sparks conversations for EU-wide drug repurposing models
How can we build a patient-centered approach to drug repurposing? How can we find the balance between providing fair return on investments for companies backing repurposed drugs while ensuring patients can afford these treatments? How can regulators and researchers collaborate to reshape the future of medicine?
These were some of the questions tackled during the hybrid policy kick-off event that took place in Brussels (and online) on 15 January 2025. Organised by REPO4EU, in collaboration with REMEDi4All and with the support of the European Commission (EC), the goal was to facilitate an open conversation on how we can set up a coordinated European strategy to establish sustainable and innovative models for drug repurposing.
To achieve this, the REPO4EU platform framed this event as the initial step to form a Special Interest Group (SIG) to advocate for EU-wide guidelines for best practices on reimbursement policies and streamlined regulatory pathways for repurposed drugs.
Artur Olesch, renowned Berlin-based journalist and founder of about Digital Health, was in charge of moderating the half-day event and prompting the panelists to discuss the most crucial topics surrounding reimbursement, policy, research and sustainable innovation to make repurposed drugs accessible for patients.
The session gathered a multi-disciplinary group of experts to share their first-hand experiences across 4 different panels, representing the full spectrum of voices involved in drug repurposing — including clinicians, researchers, patient groups’ representatives, health technology assessors (HTAs), policy makers and reimbursement specialists.
Making the case for commercially-viable drug repurposing
Following a special welcome by EC representatives Arjon van Hengel (Unit for Health Innovations & Ecosystems) and Monica Ensini (Health & Digital Executive Agency), Harald Schmidt, Project Coordinator of REPO4EU and Chair of Pharmacology at Maastricht University, opened up the first part of the event with a keynote lecture on validated research innovations in drug repurposing.
Harald gave a brief overview on the current state of drug repurposing, stating the case for a paradigm-shift in medicine, one that draws from a precision medicine approach to move away from a system that merely treats symptoms instead of targeting the molecular root of the disease – and therefore start providing efficient treatments that cure.
“One common denominator of existing cases of drug repurposing is that they’ve been more serendipitous, based on incidental observations which have then been taken on. So far, there are no mechanism-based ways to do drug repurposing,” Harald expressed, taking the opportunity to highlight the mission behind REPO4EU in fostering validated processes for repurposing globally. “We want to offer a platform that challenges how we think research should be done, and promote clinical trials that will lead to treatments that benefit patients,” he added.
Harald passed on the microphone to David Cavalla, Founder of Numedicus, for the second guest lecture of the day, focused on stimulating commercial investment in pharmaceutical development of drug repurposing research outputs. “Drug repurposing offers a radical improvement to the declining productivity of pharmaceutical R&D. With the right regulatory incentives, it could provide downward pressure on the price of medicine, and hence benefit both payors and patients”, he stated.
David also highlighted how the development of generic medicines for a new use is rarely commercially attractive because of off-label substitutions, and presented the use of thalidomide and S-ketamine for conditions pertaining to the central nervous system as examples of how repurposing can succeed when those restrictions are overcome.
Building a patient-centered system for drug repurposing — sustainable investment models and streamlined regulatory pathways
A total of 18 experts, including members of the REPO4EU Consortium, were invited to participate in the 4 panel discussions, each dedicated to various aspects involved in drug repurposing, including patient accessibility, sustainable innovation, pricing and reimbursement.
Representatives from four different patient groups in Europe sat in the opening panel, centered around the need to prioritise treatments that improve patients’ immediate quality of life, especially of those battling against a rare disease.
Marcos Mengual Hinojosa (Syngap Elternhilfe e.V.) opened up the conversation advocating for clinicians and healthcare professionals to develop holistic approaches for drug repurposing strategies: “We need a more complete picture of the patient, which we can achieve by maintaining patient registry, and build data bases by mapping out the commonalities and differences between groups of patients, especially for rare diseases which don’t share a unified set of symptoms,” he stated.
Following up from Marcos’ comments, Anneliene Jonker (Duchenne Parent Project) added: “It’s also up to us, as patient organisations, to reiterate that we don’t need the latest technology or most novel treatment, we need treatments that are affordable and can be within patient’s reach. Researchers and companies need to think about the social return on investment. This is why having the patient’s input is truly essential, even before the clinical trial stage — we should be involved from the get-go.”
Reflecting on the lengthy processes that hinder development of new and repurposed medicines, Bernd Rosenbichler (Branewo) reminded the audience that “the last thing rare disease patients have is time.”
The second session focused on regulatory innovations facilitating drug repurposing, exploring how to achieve transparent and fair pricing mixed with streamlined reimbursement policies that can benefit investing companies as well as patients, thus balancing access with sustainability.
Matthew Fedowitz (Buchanan) spoke about using AI to identify the need and potential use for repurposed drugs, encouraging researchers and clinicians to make better use of existing data and advanced tools that can speed up repurposing processes. “There’s a lot of change happening in the medical and healthcare field right now, and these innovations bring along new opportunities, but we need to join forces across continents [Europe and America] so we can see results,” he emphasized.
Yoana Nuevo Ordóñez (AEMPS) also reflected on the need to facilitate collaboration, and highlighted the importance of following scientific advice and pursuing regulatory knowledge, a notion also shared by Anja Schiel, who launched a message for researchers trying to successfully complete their clinical trials for repurposed drugs: “The rules are the same for everyone, we cannot lower the bar. We are experts on failed developments, so please listen to us and trust us when we tell you your drug development is not complete; we are not the blockers, we want to open the doors and for you to walk through them.”
Also discussing successes and roadblocks in bringing repurposed drugs to the patient, during the third session Teun Grooters (Arega Medical) mentioned that “it’s very important” for academic groups and private companies to work together, but stressed that there needs to be “a strong business case”. Drawing from that premise, Saco de Visser (Centre for Future Affordable and Sustainable Therapy Development – FAST) said the incentives should be linked to whatever the researchers want the company to put in: “We need companies to also invest in the development of repurposing ideas, but we need a proper incentive. Now it’s a great time to introduce cost-based pricing models that match value-based driven repurposing.”
On the final session of the day, where panellists discussed how to implement innovative reimbursement approaches for drug repurposing, Sibylle Reichert (Association Internationale de la Mutualité) highlighted the need to raise awareness about fair pricing, and how these conversations can contribute to the affordability agenda proposed by the EU. “We need transparency on the R&D costs for medicines, rooted on scientific-based evidence. This is why we’ve developed the Fair Pricing Calculator, to make sure the patients get the medicines they really need at a cost they can afford,” she added.
The event closed with an open discussion among panellists and attendees. In his closing remarks, moderator Artur Olesch said: “Today’s event has made one thing clear: drug repurposing is a shared opportunity and responsibility. The insights we’ve gathered today demand action, and it’s up to all of us to ensure that repurposed drugs deliver on their promise of improving lives.”
About our policy kick-off event
Our first policy event took place last January in Brussels, and served as an open platform to discuss common goals and develop a roadmap to advocate for a EU-wide sustainable reimbursement strategy for repurposed drugs.
What's next?
The conversation will continue with RExPO25 in Barcelona on 24-26 September 2025, the 4th edition of REPO4EU’s annual conference on Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing.
Our Drug Repurposing journal is back for its second issue
About Drug Repurposing
The Drug Repurposing journal aims to provide an interdisciplinary and cross-sectional overview of the various fields of research and applied sciences that work together to make successful drug repurposing projects a reality. High-throughput and high-content screening, in silico docking studies, pathway-based molecular pharmacology, bioinformatics, mining of peer-reviewed literature, patent documents, and side effect records, and design of drug repurposing trials are all part of this. We also welcome manuscripts that address strategic and ethical issues that are relevant in the broader context of drug repurposing, such as regulatory affairs, health technology assessment, and intellectual property. We especially welcome contributions that emphasize the specific integrative aspects of drug repurposing.
Drug Repurposing publishes high quality basic science, translational, and clinical research in the form of original research articles, comprehensive review articles, mini-reviews, rapid communications, brief reports, technology reports, hypothesis articles, perspectives, and letters to the editor. The Journal publishes under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) license to ensure broad dissemination and participation.
Official launch and editions
The official launch of the inaugural issue for the Drug Repurposing journal coincided with our latest RExPO24 conference in Munich back in July 2024. This first edition featured a robust collection of discussion articles, research papers and review articles, jointly portraying the breadth of the drug repurposing field. The goal is to catalyze progress, inspire collaboration and ultimately improve patient outcomes through the strategic repurposing of pharmaceuticals. Given the highly interdisciplinary nature of drug repurposing, multidisplinary is a cornerstone, and contributions from bioinformatics, cheminformatics, preclinical validation, clinical trials, ethics by design, freedom-to-operate, patenting strategies, business development, funding, regulatory, and reimbursement sectors are welcome.
Now, our Drug Repurposing journal is back with a second issue – read on for a sneak peek of everything that can be found inside and revisit past issues for key insights and collaborations.
Clinical efficacy landscaping in genetic obesity: A meta-analysis in Prader Willi syndrome (PWS)
Advancing Drug Discovery through Integrative Computational Models and AI Technologies
Looking for a Premier Publishing Portal for Drug Repurposing Research?
Created as a joint enterprise by REPO4EU and ScienceOpen, Drug Repurposing Central is the premier publishing portal for researchers specializing in drug repurposing, network medicine and precision healthcare. Our portal provides a comprehensive list of resources collating the latest research, and offers multiple publication channels, including preprints, journal articles, conference abstracts, reports, and books.
Researchers can actively participate in sharing and discussion within an open review environment, powered by ScienceOpen’s innovative discovery infrastructure. Developed under the Horizon Europe project, REPO4EU, which aspires to establish a European Platform for Drug Repurposing with global outreach, Drug Repurposing Central offers unparalleled access to publishing and reading resources at no cost. This portal is steadfast in its commitment to advancing Open Science, ensuring the utmost integrity of research outputs through consistent use of persistent identifiers and XML standards.
Inside RExPO24: Co-chairs Harald Schmidt & Jennifer Martin reflect on this year’s conference
In the midst of RExPO24, we managed to catch up with conference co-chairs Harald Schmidt (REPO4EU Project Coordinator) and Jennifer Martin (Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at University of Newcastle).
During our conversation with them, we found out more about their decision to join forces for this year’s conference, how their collaboration is helping to build bridges between Europe and Australasia, and how the RExPO series is positively contributing to the drug repurposing community worldwide.
Hi Harald and Jennifer! Congratulations on the success of RExPO24. Tell us, what made you decide to join forces this year?
Harald: I contacted Jennifer because bringing repurposed drugs to patients isn’t something you can just do in Europe, it has to be commercially viable worldwide. Not many countries are heavily exploring drug repurposing like Australia is, and Jennifer’s experience with that has been particularly intense and relevant. So, we connected and decided to put our experiences in common, which led us to hosting this year’s conference together with one goal in mind: to continue driving innovation in medicine and health science.
Jennifer: Yes, that’s right! When Harald contacted us about this meeting, we were thrilled. Often, we feel like the “little brother down under,” and having the big voice of Europe working with us gives the whole drug repurposing mission some gravitas. It shows that this is a safe and innovative approach, and like Harald said, one that would struggle to go ahead unless we work closely together across multiple countries and disciplines.
What are the potential benefits of this European-Australasian collaboration?
Harald: As part of REPO4EU, one of our objectives is to grow a global network of specialists that champion mechanism-based approaches for drug repurposing. We’re bringing together researchers, clinicians, startups, patient groups and policymakers from all over the world, and working closely with Jennifer and her team in Australia directly contributes to this mission. It’s very crucial for us to engage in the political side as well, because drug repurposing decisions are made country by country, so we cannot be working in isolation; drug repurposing has the capacity to bring amazing opportunities for patients, so we need to continue working hand-in-hand to push for changes in how these decisions are made.
Jennifer: Absolutely! We’ve had this need in Australia and New Zealand for a few years, and our team has become quite impatient with how long it’s taking to get a proper pathway. We have clinical groups and researchers doing great work, but we can’t use it in a clinical setting because treatments need to be tested for safety, quality and efficacy. They also need public subsidies because people can’t afford them otherwise. So, we’ve spent a lot of energy advocating for this and showing our regulators that we can produce safe outcomes for patients with these treatments. Joining a big initiative like RExPO offers us opportunities for collaboration and relationship building between scientists and clinicians in both regions, so we can hopefully move things forward faster — but always with the patients’ safety and wellbeing at the center.
This is the third edition of the conference. What are the key aspects that have stood out for you, compared to previous years?
Harald: I remember the first year, when we hosted it in Maastricht, the big majority of the speakers were members of the REPO4EU consortium. For the second edition, which was celebrated in Stockholm, we started seeing more people approaching us to speak at the conference. This time in Munich, I would say about 80% of speakers are from the outside, which shows me that the idea is catching on and gaining validation within the drug repurposing community.
Jennifer: One of the good things about this conference is the diversity of skills demonstrated throughout the program. For example, this year we’ve seen even more interesting adaptive design trials and AI tools that could help us study drugs more efficiently. This kind of innovation helps overcome barriers, like the high cost of including thousands of patients in trials. Listening to all the talks has been very inspiring, and this exchange of knowledge will help to empower other researchers to improve their own processes.
Harald: Another main point is that we keep seeing more and more success stories, where clinicians and companies are achieving tangible results and bringing new benefits for patients. We’ve also made a conscious decision to engage more actively with patient organizations, particularly those for rare diseases, and being able to dedicate a whole session of the conference to this area has been very rewarding.
Jennifer: Yes, the engagement from consumer groups, pharmaceutical industry, and young researchers has also been incredible this year. It’s exciting to see the future of drug research being shaped by these enthusiastic and innovative minds.
One of the big highlights of this year’s conference was the launch of the Drug Repurposing Journal, in collaboration with ScienceOpen. What can you tell us about this milestone?
Harald: It’s been really wonderful getting to work with Stephanie Dawson and the ScienceOpen team on this, and we were very excited to announce the first issue in front of all the RExPO24 attendees. The Drug Repurposing Journal is diamond open access, which means no one has to pay to read it or to publish their research in it. It still goes through a thorough editorial and peer-reviewing process, but making it fully accessible to researchers working in drug repurposing from all over the world. I think this transparency that we’re bringing to the scientific publishing community is very refreshing.
Jennifer: I read the first edition of the journal and it’s fantastic! It includes interactive discussions and, because it’s open access, it allows for real dialogue about current research being conducted in our field. This journal marks a return to the roots of scientific research where ideas are openly discussed and debated, which helps to ensure our research is directed towards real-world benefits.
About RExPO24
RExPO24, the 3rd edition of our international series of conferences dedicated to Systems Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Drug Repurposing, took place in Munich on 3-5 July 2024
Revisit the conference
Curious to learn more? Watch our video compilation for RExPO24