Last week, REMEDi4ALL partner Syreon Research Institute hosted an online workshop which brought together over 30 key stakeholders in the repurposing ecosystem to explore REMEDi4ALL’s new framework for judging the value of repurposed medicine and discuss how the tool can support decision-making and funding success for a variety of stakeholders.
The productive workshop brought together 32 participants including representatives from Funders Network members, a number of public and industry funders as well as NGOs and REMEDi4ALL consortium partners. The session provided a hands-on opportunity to explore how the new value assessment framework can be applied in real-world settings.
A practical tool to support funding decisions
One of the key goals of the REMEDi4ALL project is to create meaningful incentives and funding pathways to engage funders in drug repurposing. Central to this is the development of a standardised methodology to assess the value of repurposed medicine projects.
Traditional evaluation models designed for new drug development typically lack the flexibility to capture the full spectrum of short- and long-term value of repurposed medicines, particularly in terms of patient and societal benefit and there is also no widely accepted method for quantifying these types of impact.
This gap in standardised assessment can be a barrier to forming partnerships and collaborations to enhance repurposing initiatives. The REMEDi4ALL framework helps address this by offering a structured, transparent way to evaluate and justify R&D funding decisions particularly in early-stage projects. It also has the potential to harmonise value assessments across different stakeholders.
Now available on the REMEDi4ALL website, the Framework for Judging the Project Value of Repurposed Medicines is designed to address a key gap in the repurposing field: systematic evaluation of the short- and long-term value of projects that may not follow the traditional path of new drug development.
Key Workshop Takeaways
Funders at the workshop welcomed the framework as a useful tool for a wide range of stakeholders including philanthropic funders, venture capitalists and governmental funders to support funding decisions in drug repurposing projects.
Moreover, active discussions highlighted the additional applicability of the framework especially in collaborative or co-funding settings and when external evaluations are involved. Its ability to standardise how projects are compared was seen as a major benefit, helping ensure decisions reflect real-world impact for both patients.
If you’re looking to enhance your drug repurposing project review process, please look into this framework that can serve as ready-to-use tool or spark ideas for customizing of your existing process. Integrating this tool doesn’t just improve your review process, it helps to further amplify real-world impact.
– Dunja Huijbers, ZonMw
The framework was also presented during the REMEDi4ALL Patient Bootcamp, where had the chance to examine its broader potential. This experience showed that the tool isn’t just for funders – it can be used by project teams to better align with funder expectations and prepare stronger applications according to a criteria list demonstrating what is valuable.
By mapping their projects against the value criteria, teams can improve their readiness for funding calls and ensure their proposals speak directly to what funders – and patients – value most.
