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
RExPO24: Bringing together the leading voices in Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing
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.
Hosted at Die Macherei, the design offices located at the heart of the Bavarian capital, this year’s edition welcomed 111 attendees from all over the world — from Spain and the UK, all the way to Australia and the US. Professors, researchers, clinicians, policy-makers, startup founders and patient representatives gathered in Munich for the 3-day conference to meet with some of the leading voices driving the current paradigm shifts in medicine.
Throughout 10 sessions, a total of 40 speakers stepped on the stage to introduce the latest research and innovation shaping the medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare landscapes. Moreover, attendees got the chance to enjoy an Honorary Lecture by David Cavalla, one of the pioneering figures in drug repurposing, and meet the next generation of drug researchers through the 10 poster presentations given by young investigators.
Unveiling the forces behind drug repurposing — from rare disease research to computational data science
For the first day of the conference, we paired up with the Bavarian Biotech Cluster Development (BioM) for a handover session, which marked the end of their BayOConnect Forum for Biotech & Life Science and the beginning of RExPO24. BioM’s Ralf Huss passed the mic to our conference co-chairs, Harald Schmidt (REPO4EU Project Coordinator & Professor at Maastricht University) and Jennifer Martin (Professor at University of Newcastle) to lead the way into the first session of the conference, dedicated to exploring the potential of AI & Drug Repurposing for Precision Medicine.
The second day of RExPO24 opened up with a full session and panel discussion focused on one of the biggest topics currently being discussed in medicine and healthcare globally: rare diseases. Following an introduction from Monica Ensini, Scientific Officer at European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), the speakers shed light on the importance of involving rare diseases in all drug repurposing efforts; according to many attendees, it was particularly inspiring to hear directly from patient organizations on how they’re driving further action and awareness on behalf of the more than 300 million people who live with a rare disease worldwide.
The following sessions of Day 2 covered a wide spectrum of topics related to scientific innovation in medicine and healthcare, including: alternative therapies for cancer patients, the use of multi-omics data and Artificial Intelligence for personalized medicine, and so much more! As one of the official sponsors for this year’s conference, AstraZeneca led a session focused on the value of clinical data for the advancement of precision medicine, spotlighting how their Open Innovation programme is bridging the gap between academia and industry research. To close the day, our session on regulatory and reimbursement challenges for drug repurposing opened a window into some of the most crucial questions currently being tackled: How can we break the market-entry barriers for repurposed drugs to bring them to the patients?
RExPO24 finished on its third day with the last three sessions of the conference: the first one presented novel diagnosis and treatment strategies for neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases following a systems medicine approach; the last two explored how we can foster transdisciplinary collaborations to ensure we reach a sustainable and robust framework for mechanism-based drug repurposing, and the role of EU Research Infrastructures in bringing us closer to this ambitious goal.
All the conference abstracts are now available on Drug Repurposing Central, REPO4EU’s online open-access platform powered by ScienceOpen.
A new dawn for interdisciplinary collaborations: introducing the Drug Repurposing Journal
One of the key aspects of the RExPO conference series is networking, bringing people together from across the entire medical and healthcare ecosystem to exchange knowledge and inspire new collaborations that can bring along positive change to patients, clinicians and researchers.
In light of this philosophy, and taking advantage of having so many peers gathered in the same room, we were thrilled to launch the inaugural edition of our Drug Repurposing Journal. Created in collaboration with ScienceOpen, the aim is to provide an interdisciplinary and cross-sectional overview of the various fields of research and applied sciences that work together in drug repurposing projects – and hopefully empower many new ones!
Sounds interesting?
Learn more about this exciting milestone in this blog article by ScienceOpen
Introducing DrugRxiv: A Preprint Server Tailored for the Drug Repurposing Community
About DrugRxiv
DrugRxiv is a pioneering preprint server specifically designed for the drug Rrepurposing community, and one of the key collections under Drug Repurposing Central, our publishing portal. DrugRxiv serves as an open community resource, enabling researchers to share early-stage results in the field of drug repurposing easily and openly.
A preprint is an early version of a scientific manuscript and also a powerful tool that authors can now share publicly online before undergoing formal peer review. This practice, a cornerstone of Open Science, accelerates the spread of research findings, fostering open access and peer review. In general, preprints can be posted:
- before article submission to encourage open reviews and improve the paper’s quality before it is officially submitted,
- at the point of submission to a journal to make results available during the sometimes long peer review process, or
- at the time of publication as a postprint to make an open access version available.
The DrugRxiv submission system is uniquely equipped with automated checks to ensure scientific rigor and originality. SciScore evaluates the scientific quality, while Crossref performs similarity checks, aligning with the Open Science Strategy outlined for REPO4EU. Although currently funded and managed by REPO4EU, DrugRxiv is accessible to all researchers within the drug repurposing field.
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.
Co-chairs Harald Schmidt and Jennifer Martin on what we can expect from RExPO24
RExPO is back! Our annual conference on Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing will be celebrating its 3rd edition in Munich, on 3-5 July, co-chaired by: Harald Schmidt, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology at Maastricht University & REPO4EU Project Coordinator; and Jennifer Martin, Chair of Clinical Pharmacology at University of Newcastle in Australia.
With barely a month before the big event, we’ve decided to speak with this year’s co-chairs to hear directly from them what we can expect from RExPO24.
Hi Harald! Tell us, why have we chosen Munich to host RExPO24?
Harald: We’re going to Munich this year because it’s a major biotech hub in Europe, with many universities, hospitals and research organizations that are very translationally oriented. This third edition of our annual conference goes head to head with the BayOConnect Forum, an event organized by the Bavarian Biotech Cluster Development (BioM) which will attract a lot of SMEs that are currently translating their research work into patient application.
We’ve prepared a handover session with them, so when BayOConnect finishes on the 3rd of July they will pass the baton to us to officially kick off RExPO24 on that same afternoon, with a joint session fully dedicated to AI for drug repurposing and precision medicine.
What are some of the main themes we’ll be covering this year?
Harald: Our 3-day conference will be mostly dedicated to highlighting the latest research on bioinformatics applied to rare diseases, cancer and neurological diseases, and this year we also have a strong focus on regulatory and reimbursement processes and policies within the field of pharma innovation. I highly recommend people to check the conference agenda and the list of confirmed speakers, because we have many top-notch voices from all over the world!
Everything we’ll be discussing during RExPO24 ties in with a common thread: the application of AI tools to build a mechanistic approach to drug repurposing for the advancement of systems medicine globally. From our side, as a European consortium, we’re also very excited to introduce the first clinical results from REPO4EU, which we will be presenting alongside the features we’ve developed so far for our drug repurposing platform.
Jennifer, you attended RExPO23 in Stockholm as a speaker and now you’re coming back as Co-chair! What caught your attention from last year’s experience that made you excited about co-chairing the conference this year?
Jennifer: What was really exhilarating for me last year was getting to meet so many people from around the globe who were working in different aspects of drug repurposing. I was also very intrigued by the developments and applications of Artificial Intelligence applied to this field, as it’s not an area I’ve had a lot of experience in, so attending RExPO helped me understand the opportunities that AI might bring to this whole platform. And I can see that this year’s program got heaps more of AI, so I’m looking forward to catching up on all the latest developments that have happened since last October.
Also, like Harald mentioned, the reimbursement and regulation aspects are very important too, especially for clinical researchers who really want to get a drug through the repurposing process to be used in the clinical practice. So I’m very happy we’ll be spending some time this year focusing on this too. I’m genuinely super excited about the conference coming up in Munich and co-chairing it with Harald, and I hope to see many known and new faces there!
So, Harald, what can people expect from attending RExPO24? Can you give us a quick summary of what we can look forward to in Munich?
Harald: Be ready for 3 days packed with talks! But this is not like your usual medical conference, all our sessions will be very focused and dynamic. We know professors can talk about anything for hours, myself included, but for our conference we’ve asked all our speakers to compress their insights and knowledge into 15-minute presentations. Each session will be followed up by extensive discussion rounds, where the audience will be able to ask questions to the panelists. Apart from the main talks, we will also have brief poster presentations and we’ll be giving out a Young Investigator Award to one of the brilliant young scientists joining us for the conference.
We will of course have the usual coffee and tea breaks, but this time we will make it more fun! Because the EURO2024 championship is being held at the same time in Germany, we’ve planned a little football competition (soccer for our American and Australian friends) – I don’t want to give out too many details yet, as it will be a nice surprise, but all I’ll say is that you may be able to win the official ball of the European championship…
Overall, you can expect to meet many researchers, professors, scientists, patient advocates and entrepreneurs working at the forefront of global innovations to redefine the way we do medicine, once and for all. So, if you’re working or are interested in novel applications of drug repurposing, this conference is for you!
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
Ethics and privacy-by-design - why these are no buzzwords in REPO4EU
Over the years, those working in research ethics have sometimes felt that the ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications) work packages or the ethics-by-design approach can seem like mere cosmetic additions to a research project to please the EU framework calls. Rather than being integrated into the research design and implementation core, they were sometimes reduced to token gestures instead of meaningful contributions to the ethical and privacy-friendly conduct of research. But shifting from being a “superficial” adornment to a truly committed approach is quite a challenge.
At REPO4EU, we are fully aligned with the ethics and privacy–by–design approach. This has enhanced the ethical and legal robustness of our projects and fostered a culture of ethical and privacy awareness and responsibility within the consortium. Ethics and privacy– by– design are not just theoretical concepts for the whole team but are practical guides that shape their research practices and decisions. This alignment underscores the team’s dedication to conducting research that respects the rights and interests of all stakeholders –especially those of research subjects– and contributes positively to society. It’s a testament to the team’s commitment to “not just doing things right but also doing the right things“.
Ethics and privacy by design are fundamental approaches that guide the conduct of responsible, lawful, and impactful research. Its challenges highlight the need for careful planning, open communication, and ongoing collaboration among all stakeholders involved in a research project. In REPO4EU, the ethics and privacy by design approach is seriously implemented. Ethics and privacy by design are, hence, no buzzwords for us.
Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash
A recap of the RExPO23 conference: Bridging Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing
The REPO4EU project spearheads the development of a European/Global Platform and Infrastructure for Mechanism-based Drug Repurposing. As part of this ambitious initiative, our RExPO annual conference series provides a fantastic forum for sharing cutting-edge research and fostering collaboration, blending high-impact scientific research with innovative business approaches. This year, our RExPO23 conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden, from October 25-26, bringing together over 115 attendees and featuring 8 poster presentations and 51 publications overall.
It was also an honour to welcome and host a stellar roster of 45 speakers from around the globe. Throughout the two-day conference, participants dived deep into topics like the potential of network and systems medicine in reshaping the way we understand diseases, the role of Artificial Intelligence in precision medicine and how regulation on drug repurposing shifts from a worldwide perspective. These discussions encouraged the search for innovative research directions, the establishment of brand new collaborations and the exploration of disruptive approaches in the field. The program also included sessions on supportive and neural networks, rethinking pharma and the latest developments in diagnostics & assays.
The event also showcased poster presentations and gave away a Young Investigator Award to celebrate fresh contributions from emerging researchers and young minds in the field. All selected abstracts, full presentations, and posters from RExPO23 are available under unique DOIs in our online collection on ScienceOpen.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and collaborators for their generous support, which was instrumental in making RExPO23 a resounding success. This year’s RExPO was not just an event but a catalyst for future collaborations and innovations in systems medicine, AI, and drug repurposing. We eagerly anticipate the innovative partnerships that will surely emerge from this gathering of brilliant minds and look forward to seeing how these discussions will shape the future of healthcare and beyond.
See you next year!
About RExPO23
RExPO23, the 2nd edition of our international series of conferences dedicated to Systems Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Drug Repurposing, took place in Stockholm on 25-26 October 2023
Revisit the conference
Curious to learn more? Watch our video compilation for RExPO23
Our newsletter is back for its second issue
REPO4EU has just reached its one-year milestone and what better way to celebrate than with a new installment of our official newsletter? Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find inside:
- The latest news on RExPO23 – the international conference on Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing coming to Stockholm this October 25-26.
- How to join our thriving drug repurposing community to get access to expert insights and matchmaking opportunities.
- An overview of our brand new one-stop publishing platform: Drug Repurposing Central
- Our collection of Knowledge Pills: a series of short explainer videos covering the core concepts behind REPO4EU
- Recap highlights from our recent meetings with the EMA Innovation Task Force and our Project Officer.
Click here to navigate to our second issue and don’t forget to subscribe!
Photo by Rinck Content Studio on Unsplash
REPO4EU celebrates its first anniversary after reaching key milestones in a year
One year has passed since the official launch of REPO4EU back on the 1st of September 2022, where all 28 partners met in Maastricht to kick-off the project and lay out the foundations for the upcoming 7 years.
To celebrate the occasion and mark the achievements of our first year working together, we spoke with our Project Coordinator, Prof. Harald Schmidt, to get some first-hand insights into the developments of the past 12 months.
What have we achieved in this first year of REPO4EU?
It’s an honor, and also a big responsibility, to be leading this giant project supported by the European Union, where we’re bringing together scientists and stakeholders from all fields, including bioinformatics, biomedicine, clinicians, patent attorneys and many more; and also, very importantly, to be actively engaging patients in our conversations.
One of the biggest achievements of this year is the development of our online, open access and totally free platform called Drug Repurposing Central — a publishing and communication platform developed in collaboration with ScienceOpen for the whole drug repurposing community.
Drug repurposing is a giant movement spanning medicine worldwide, which is why building a global-reaching community is one of the main objectives for REPO4EU. This year alone, we’ve expanded across Europe but we’re also reaching into Australia, Asia and the Americas, collaborating hand-in-hand with peers and organisations whose work also focuses on advancing patient-centric and precise drug repurposing. Check out who has joined our community so far!
What's next for REPO4EU?
With our project being centered around exploring the latest technologies for mechanism-based drug repurposing, our research and conversations revolve around using drugs that are already on the market for new indications, always having patients’ needs at the forefront. For this, we’re using the most modern methods of bioinformatics to not only redefine diseases, but to also make sure we’re curing patients — instead of simply treating their symptoms.
After the hard work of this first year, we’re now in the process of preparing the first clinical trials, which will set the path for our upcoming and continuous research into drug repurposing using Machine Learning and other AI-powered tools. Thanks to our recently completed deliverables, we will now also be able to start developing new methods and tools that will become available for colleagues and researchers working within the context of drug repurposing.
Our most exciting plan coming up soon is RExPO23, the second installment in our series of international conferences dedicated to Systems Medicine, AI and Drug Repurposing. This year, we’re going bigger, better and bolder! Those interested in joining us in Stockholm on 25-26 October 2023, can book their tickets now. I hope to see you there!
Big thanks to all 28 partners in the REPO4EU consortium for their work so far. Here’s to continuing our mission to move from imprecise drug therapy to precision medicine!
Our community
Learn more our partner projects: from research groups and universities, to private companies
and sister initiatives in the EU playground
About Drug Repurposing Central
Drug Repurposing Central is funded and managed by REPO4EU and open to all researchers in the field of drug repurposing