Drug repositioning and its aspects in clinical diabetology

Drug repositioning is a special and increasingly utilized way of drug development. As a result of the procedure, drugs and active ingredients that are already on the market for the treatment of certain diseases or are in various phases of development are being successfully used with new indications, some of which are sometimes completely different from the original ones. In the first half of our review, we give a brief overview of this process, outline its various advantages and potential pitfalls. After the general introductory part, we will examine the more successful areas of application of the drugs that were previously marketed as antidiabetics, and then we will mention some preparations that can now also be used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, due to their significant blood sugar lowering properties that have been recognized in the meantime. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(49): 1919-1926.