Drug repurposing involves investigating new uses for approved drugs that could be used to treat other conditions in a timely, costly and hugely impactful way. Professor Nikola Bowden and Jill Emberson PhD Scholarship Winner, Bayley Matthews, spoke with ABC Newcastle about their research into repurposing drugs to find a treatment for ovarian cancer. 

While the discovery and development of new drugs remains essential for the treatment of cancer and some of the world’s most fatal diseases, a ‘new’ drug requires approximately 12-16 years to develop and an average investment of US$1-2 billion.

So many approved drugs already exist that are helping to save countless lives. Some of them might be able to save more.

Drug repurposing involves investigating new uses for approved drugs that could be used to treat other conditions in a timely, costly and hugely impactful way.

This is exactly the approach that Professor Nikola Bowden and Jill Emberson PhD Scholarship Winner, Bayley Matthews, are taking to find existing drugs that could help treat ovarian cancer. 

Nikola and Bayley spoke with ABC Newcastle about their research and what inspires them in their search for better treatment for ovarian cancer patients.

“We have a group of very, very active and very passionate ovarian cancer patients who meet with us from around the country and they absolutely keep us motivated. We call them the A-Team!” – Professor Nikola Bowden

Guests: Professor Nikola Bowden and Bayley Matthews
Program: ABC Newcastle Breakfast