Professor Murray Cairns’ recent drug repurposing trials have found that common medications used for heart conditions, muscle tension, stomach ulcers and cancer treatment can be used to fight obesity and diabetes.  

Professor Murray Cairns’ recent drug repurposing trials have found that common medications used for heart conditions, muscle tension, stomach ulcers and cancer treatment can be used to fight obesity and diabetes.  

Murray said:

“New treatments with high activity and specificity are urgently needed to tackle a pandemic of chronic illness associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Our technology harnesses genetically informed precision medicine to identify and target new treatments for these complex disorders.” 

The drugs that have been identified to treat obesity are Baclofen, a muscle relaxant, and Carfilzomib, a chemotherapy drug.

For diabetes, the researchers have identified Palbociclib, a breast cancer drug, and cardiac glycosides, heart failure and heart rhythm disorder drugs. For both conditions, sucralfate, a drug used to treat stomach ulcers, has been found to be effective.  

Dr William Reay who works alongside Murray in the research program said: “Diabetes and obesity are the major risk factors for dozens of chronic health disorders that contribute to astonishing levels of human morbidity and mortality. We wanted to make an impact against these and other complex conditions through the discovery of drugs that target each individual’s genetically encoded biological risk.”