ask an appropriate question for conducting the proposed studies. This can be further

modified and designed in a better manner for more accurate results with more

relevance for daily activities to be adopted precisely in practice.

One of the examples of using the reverse translation more effectively was seen in

the case of quest for expedited Zika virus diagnostics during the 2015–2016 viral

outbreak, wherein the outbreak resulted in a public health emergency declared by the

World Health Organization and the United States Department of Health and Human

Services. In this regard, it is important to understand that to combat the same, public

need pushed it forward for developing an immediate requirement to develop the

diagnostics and therapeutic measures necessary to effectively control the Zika virus.

Table 9.1 Examples of repurposed drugs in the market

Drug

Original

indication

New indication

New target identified

Thalidomide

Morning

sickness

Erythema nodosum

leprosum, multiple

myeloma

Cereblon (CRBN) (Takumi and

Hiroshi 2020)

Sildenafil

Angina

Erectile dysfunction

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5)

Zidovudine

Cancer

HIV/AIDS

Reverse transcriptase enzyme

Celecoxib

Pain and

inflammation

Familial

adenomatous

polyps

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)

Atomoxetine

Parkinson’s

disease

ADHD

Sodium-dependent norepinephrine

transporter (NET), serotonin

transporter and N-methyl-D-aspartate

(NMDA) receptor

Aspirin

Analgesia

Colorectal cancer

COX-2

Ketoconazole

Fungal

infections

Cushing syndrome

Steroidogenic enzyme

Dapoxetine

Analgesia

and

depression

Premature

ejaculation

Postsynaptic 5-HT1C receptors

Raloxifene

Osteoporosis

Breast cancer

Oestrogen receptor (ER)

Rituximab

Cancers

Rheumatoid

arthritis

B-cell membrane proteins CD20

antigen

Duloxetine

Depression

Stress urinary

incontinence

5-Hydroxytryptamine-2 (5HT2) and

norepinephrine receptors

Fingolimod

Transplant

rejection

Multiple sclerosis

Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor

Bupropion

Depression

Smoking cessation

Nicotine acetylcholine receptor

(nAChRs)

Lidocaine

Local

anaesthetic

Arrhythmia

Sodium channels

Remdesivir

Ebola virus

Covid-19

RdRp in viral nsp12

136

R. K. Goyal and G. Aggarwal