International Drug Repurposing Conference 2026 - #iDR26
2026-05-12 - 2026-05-13 | Maison de la Poste, Brussels, Belgium, Rue Picard 7, Brussels, Belgium
Join iDR26, the International Drug Repurposing Conference, on 12-13 May 2026 in Brussels, Belgium to explore the future of patient-centric medicines repurposing.
From rare diseases and AI-driven drug discovery, to policy, funding and community-led success stories, iDR26 brings together the global drug repurposing community to navigate the next chapter in maximising patient benefit.
Explore the full conference here!

BioMed21 Webinar: Rare Disease Research and Drug Development with NAMs in the EU
2026-06-30 10:30 - 12:30 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Online Event
Exploring human-relevant in vitro and in silico approaches for disease modelling and therapeutic innovation
Webinar description
BioMed21 (Biomedical Research for the 21st Century Collaboration) invites you to a 60-minute webinar exploring how New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), including advanced human-relevant in vitro models and in silico technologies, are transforming rare disease research and drug development.
The webinar will bring together experts from academia, policy, and biomedical research to discuss innovative approaches ranging from retinal organoids and retina-on-chip systems to computational modelling and AI-driven strategies for therapy development.
Topics will include:

Human-centric strategies for rare disease research
hiPSC-derived organoids and organ-on-chip technologies
In silico modelling and computational approaches
Translational opportunities and challenges for NAMs in therapy development
European research and policy perspectives

Draft agenda

Advancing Human-Centric Strategies for Rare Disease Research: A European Research Policy Perspective
Francesca Pistollato – Humane World for Animals
Human retinal organoids and retina-chip platform for modeling disease and gene therapy
Kevin Achberger – University of Tübingen
Human-Centric In Silico Modeling for Rare Disease Research and Drug Development
Francesco Pappalardo – University of Catania & the COMBINE Group
NAMs in Rare Disease Therapy Development: Where and When Do They Fit?
Manoe Janssen – Radboudumc

📄 BioMed21 Policy Paper: https://biomed21.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RareDiseases_WhitePaper_2026-final.pdf

Register for the webinar here!

Webinar: Understanding the Value of your Repurposed Medicine
2026-07-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Online Event
An introduction to HTA, Early HTA, and patient preference evidence for demonstrating the value of repurposed medicines.

Repurposing has the potential to bring treatments to patients more quickly and efficiently. However, the success of a repurposed medicine depends not only on its clinical effectiveness, but also on demonstrating its value to healthcare decision-makers and ensuring patient access.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is the process used to evaluate the value of a health intervention or technology and inform reimbursement and healthcare decision-making.
Join experts from the Syreon Research Institute for an introduction to HTA and Early HTA, and learn how these approaches can support the development, assessment, and value maximisation of repurposed medicines.
The webinar will also explore the role of patient preferences in value assessment, using case studies to showcase the importance of incorporating patient perspectives to strengthen evidence generation and support patient-centred decision-making.
Register for the webinar here!

2026 REMEDi4ALL Hackathon
2026-09-06 14:00 - 2026-09-11 17:00 | Hotel Checkin Montserrat, Carrer Querol, 08293 Collbató, Barcelona, Spain
Are you an early career researcher (ECR) who wants to delve into drug repurposing?

Join us for the third REMEDi4ALL Hackathon, 6-11 September 2026, held at Hotel Checkin Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain.
The REMEDi4ALL Repurposing Hackathon is designed to help early career researchers learn by doing. Join a small team of international trainees keen to learn about the repurposing pathway on a week-long residential course where you aim to plan the development of a repurposing candidate for a specific patient community.
Who is the Hackathon for?

Students and researchers in the early stages of their career up to 2 years post-doc
Individuals with an interest in drug repurposing
Individuals with an excellent scientific track record
Previous experience in the drug repurposing field will be considered a plus

What will you learn?
The REMEDi4ALL Hackathon aims to teach participants how to:

Use computational tools to generate repurposing candidates suitable for a defined indication
Narrow down potential repurposed drug options tailored to a particular indication
Identify needs and knowledge gaps in a repurposing project, helping to define the path for a drug candidate
Work together with other ECRs to complete a repurposing challenge

Training format

In-person, residential training for 15 participants
Advance registration required
Small teams of early career researchers work on a project throughout the week
Support through lectures and guidance of REMEDi4ALL experts, and external advisers, including patient experts

Interested in learning more? Check out our highlights video from 2025 or explore the Hackathon website within the REMEDi4ALL Repurposing Academy.
Applications open now: apply here
