Combination treatment based on drug repurposing shows promise in the treatment of retinal degenerations 

Key Takeaways

• Drug repurposing shows promise in the treatment of retinal degenerations, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. 
• A combination treatment incorporating three existing drugs—tamsulosin, metoprolol and bromocriptine—slowed disease progression in animal retinopathy models.

Drug repurposing refers to the use of existing drugs to treat diseases or conditions that they were not originally developed or approved for. A new study by an international team of researchers, published in Nature Communications, focused on drug repurposing in the context of inherited retinal degenerations, IRDs.

IRDs are a group of genetic diseases that cause the deterioration of retinal anatomy and function, leading to gradual loss of vision and often blindness. Most IRDs are currently inaccessible therapeutically, comprising an unmet medical need for a substantial population worldwide.

The researchers found that a combination treatment incorporating three drugs significantly slowed disease progression and decreased disease manifestation in four different animal models of IRD. The combination included the blood pressure and heart failure drug metoprolol, and tamsulosin, which is used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, as well as the nowadays less commonly used Parkinson’s disease drug bromocriptine.

“We hypothesized that the combined effect of these drugs would alleviate the disease, which it indeed did in several distinct animal models of IRDs. However, the efficacy and safety of this combination in humans with retinal degeneration is not guaranteed, and controlled clinical trials to test these are needed,” first-author Dr. Henri Leinonen notes.

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source:

University of Eastern Finland, Medical Xpress, July 22, 2024; see source article