This week, several news outlets including The Wall Street Journal highlighted a trend toward repositioning drugs that are already FDA-approved to determine whether they might be efficacious in the treatment of another therapeutic area. One such drug, already available to treat multiple sclerosis, has entered a Phase II trial to determine its ability to also treat Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In 2012, MJFF made Repositioning Drugs for PD one of its recurring programs, following a 2011 in which the Foundation funded nine grants for $3.4 million in repositioning drugs that could benefit people with PD.  By identifying therapies that are already clinically available, MJFF hopes to reduce the time and cost it takes to bring PD potential drugs to market.

Read more about some of the repositioning grants MJFF has supported in the past.