July 23, 2012
At the Sixth Annual Dr. Charles I. Jarowski Industrial Pharmacy
Symposium, noted scientists came together to share their ideas
about one of the newest and most exciting developments in the area
of drug development. They discussed the innovative attempts to find
new therapeutic applications for medications that have already been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are
currently available to healthcare prescribers for use by their
patients. You are invited to read a
synopsis of their individual presentations.
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“Today’s
topic has a direct impact on the delivery of health care to many
people,” noted Robert A. Mangione ’77P, ’79GP, ’93PD, ’99Ed.D.,
Dean of St. John’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
Professions. “Discovering new uses for drugs that are already on
the market is an important area of research. We already know how
these medications work in their current usage, and we’re certain
that the studies that are now underway will uncover ways in which
the components of these drugs can be adjusted to make them even
more effective for consumers. Who knows what the future will bring
because of what is being discussed today? It’s very
exciting.”
There are many benefits to finding ways to enhance the value and
increase the therapeutic indications for existing medications.
Since these drugs are currently in use, they have already undergone
the rigorous testing required for FDA approval. Over time,
follow-up studies have been undertaken and consumer reports have
been compiled on the overall effectiveness and actual side-effects
associated with these products.
“Repurposing
drugs is much less expensive and much less risky than developing
new medications from scratch,” said Mahendra G. Shah ’77GP,
’85Ph.D., Partner at Vivo Ventures, a healthcare focused venture
fund. “Under this process repurposed drugs can be developed in just
a few years, rather than the 15 or more years it takes to develop a
new drug. It reduces the risks because the repurposed drugs have
already been approved by the FDA. They’ve already been used by
humans. The only thing that we’re trying to do is to find a new use
for existing drugs or a new formulation to reduce the side
effects. The repurposed drug still requires FDA approval, but the
time it takes to get it approved is a lot shorter. Because the
safety is well known we’re only improving the efficacy of the drug
for the new indication.”
Not surprisingly, many of the scientists making presentations at
the conference were St. John’s alumni from St. John’s College of
Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. They were proud to be
involved in this important initiative, particularly since it was a
way for them to show their appreciation for how the University
helped them to embark on their successful careers.
“St. John’s
was very helpful to me as a student and very helpful when I was
establishing my career,” recalled Salah U. Ahmed ’85GP, ’90Ph.D.,
President and CEO of Abon Pharmaceuticals. “Without the education I
got from St. John’s, and not only the education in terms of books
and lectures, but also about the ways in which the professors
interacted with us, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Dr. Jarowski
was one of my favorite professors, and I was lucky to be one of his
favorite students. He taught beyond the books, and made his
students focus on the bigger picture of life beyond the classroom.
His inspiration took me from being a simple scientist to becoming
the global head of R&D. I started with 3 scientists in R&D,
and when I left my former company I had 750 scientists in that
department. I credit my success to St. John’s and Dr.
Jarowski.”
Symposium Moderator Frank DellaFera ’81P has a special reason for
his strong interest in the development of repurposed drugs. He is
the Founder and CEO of Ferra Pharmaceuticals, a virtual drug
company committed to the development of new products with a
connection to those that have already proven their
effectiveness.
He is
convinced that these types of medications will constitute a
significant portion of the products emerging for consumer use in
the future.
“We’re talking about repurposing old molecules,” he said, “and
that’s a great opportunity for both drug companies and patients. A
lot of these old molecules have many off-label indications and
uses, and what we’re doing is giving them the proper dosage form
for the new indication and hopefully getting it on the market to
help the patients who need it. During the next decade I foresee
that the majority of FDA approvals will be for these repurposed
pharmaceutical products. And it’s wonderful that St. John’s College
of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions hosts the Jarowski
Symposium every year. The facilities here are just unmatched, and
I’m always proud to say that I’m an alumnus of St. John’s.”
The Dr. Charles I. Jarowski Industrial Pharmacy Symposium was
created to act as a dynamic forum for the exchange of information
and exploration of current industry trends among distinguished
research scientists and our world class alumni. It offers an
opportunity for professional development and networking among
students, alumni and industry representatives. The Symposium is
named in memory of Dr. Charles I. Jarowski, who was instrumental in
developing the Industrial Pharmacy Program while a faculty member
in St. John’s College of Pharmacy and Allied Health
Professions.