#iDR26, the 2026 International Drug Repurposing Conference will gather in Brussels to explore the future of patient-centric medicines repurposing. 

There are over 7000 diseases with a known molecular basis and only around 500 have approved thera pies. At the current yearly rate of drug approvals, finding new treatments for most diseases would take centuries. Medicines repurposing, which consists of finding new therapeutic options for already known approved and investigational stage drugs, offers a potentially faster and more cost-effective route to new treatment options for patients who need them most. This strategy holds particular promise for rare or infectious diseases and rare cancers, complementing de novo drug development approaches. 

The third edition of the International Drug Repurposing Conference #iDR26 will deep dive into latest advances made in this fast-evolving field. Themed “Navigating the future of drug repurposing”, this global conference will bring together an exclusive line-up of leading experts in Brussels to discuss key drug repurposing topics including cutting-edge AI-driven drug discovery to rare diseases, policy, fund ing and community-led success stories. Members of the press are invited to join key opinion leaders from research and patient communities, policy-makers, funders, regulators and the private sector to explore the transformative potential of medicines repurposing.

• Dates: 12-13 May 2026 

• Location: Maison de la Poste, Brussels, Belgium 

• Theme: Navigating the future of drug repurposing 

This event is a unique opportunity for media to: 

• Hear from researchers and patients at the forefront of successful drug repurposing initiatives and discover how cutting-edge AI and public-private collaborations could redefine clinical research. 

• Explore the potential impact of drug repurposing on public health and learn about policy advancements crucial to facilitate patient access to medicines. 

• Interact with diverse stakeholders from across the drug repurposing pipeline. 

Programme overview and agenda 

The conference will open with two plenary sessions focused on the strategic and systemic changes nee ded to maximise the impact of drug repurposing. Plenary One will examine how innovative approaches are accelerating repurposing while Plenary Two will focus on the creation of effective repurposing ecosystems that can deliver lasting systemic change. The plenary sessions will be followed by thematic track sessions:

• Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases 

• Discovery for Repurposing 

• Drug Repurposing for Industry 

• Repurposing Community

A poster session on the evening of 12 May will provide researchers with the opportunity to present and discuss their latest work in drug repurposing. The programme will conclude with a Patient Engagement Panel showcasing how patient communities are addressing inequalities, shaping repurposing research priorities, and driving access initiatives. The final Closing Plenary will look to the future of drug repurposing, considering upcoming legislative changes in Europe, and the challenges that still need to be addressed.

Featured Speakers iDR26 features speakers from a diverse range of interest groups, including: • Academia (e.g. University College London, Fraunhofer Institute, CIBER) 

• Clinicians (e.g. Necker–Enfants Malades Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center) 

• Patient communities (e.g. Osteogenesis Imperfecta Federation Europe, Foundation 29, Malaysian Rare Disorders Society, independent patient representatives) 

• Industry professionals (e.g. Medac) 

• Regulators, policy-makers and HTAs (e.g. EMA, Spanish Health Ministry, Medicines for Europe) 

• Funders (e.g. LifeArc, Anticancer Fund, ZonMw) and many more 

Check out all confirmed speakers biographies on the REMEDi4ALL website and access the full event programme. 

Brief overview of drug repurposing and relevant publications 

Drug repurposing consists of finding new therapeutic uses for existing medicines. Instead of developing new drugs, repurposing builds on existing knowledge of a drug’s safety, efficacy, and dosing, allowing for a potentially faster and more cost-effective route to new treatments. 

The potential of drug repurposing is vast, particularly for rare diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases, where there is often a critical lack of effective treatments. Drug repurposing has gained traction since the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic where a number of drugs including the steroid dexamethasone were rapidly repurposed for severe COVID-19. 

The growing popularity of drug repurposing as a viable alternative to drug development to secure patient access to treatments has garnered international media attention. REMEDi4ALL has been covered by the New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Forbes, The Age, National Geographic, The Telegraph, El País and Le Figaro. 

Furthermore, groundbreaking scientific publications related to drug repurposing have been published in high impact scientific journals including Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Science Translational Medicine and The New England Journal of Medicine. Discover all of our media outputs on the REMEDi4ALL web. 

Contact information 

For further information please contact: 

• Sofia Sintoris (Scientific Communications Officer, Teamit): ssintoris@teamitresearch.com 

• Jake Fairnie (Head of Communications, EATRIS): jakefairnie@eatris.eu 

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