RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Drug repurposing in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a breath of fresh air? JF European Respiratory Review JO EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW FD European Respiratory Society SP 170098 DO 10.1183/16000617.0098-2017 VO 27 IS 147 A1 Arnaud Boyer A1 Eddy Pasquier A1 Pascale Tomasini A1 Joseph Ciccolini A1 Laurent Greillier A1 Nicolas Andre A1 Fabrice Barlesi A1 Celine Mascaux YR 2018 UL http://err.ersjournals.com/content/27/147/170098.abstract AB Drug repurposing is the use of known drugs for new indications. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis. So far, few treatments have been approved in this disease. However, its incidence is expected to increase significantly, particularly in developing countries. Consequently, drug repurposing appears as an attractive strategy for drug development in MPM, since the known pharmacology and safety profile based on previous approvals of repurposed drugs allows for faster time-to-market for patients and lower treatment cost. This is critical in low- and middle-income countries where access to expensive drugs is limited. This review assesses the published preclinical and clinical data about drug repurposing in MPM.In this review, we identified 11 therapeutic classes that could be repositioned in mesothelioma. Most of these treatments have been evaluated in vitro, half have been evaluated in vivo in animal models of MPM and only three (i.e. valproate, thalidomide and zoledronic acid) have been investigated in clinical trials, with limited benefits so far. Efforts could be coordinated to pursue further investigations and test promising drugs identified in preclinical experiments in appropriately designed clinical trials.Drug repurposing is an interesting research area for mesothelioma, which has a very poor outcome and few drugs approved http://ow.ly/igTq30hSloC