CURE ID App Will Assist Drug Repurposing for Infectious Diseases

The Food and Drug Administration recently launched CURE ID, an online repository for clinical cases in which existing drugs have been used in new ways to treat infectious diseases lacking adequate approved treatments. The app aims to connect academics, health care facilities and clinicians to create a repository of clinical outcomes, making it easier to find new ways to repurpose drugs and expedite patient treatment.

IDSA has joined the effort as a society partner and participated in the Dec. 5 launch of the CURE ID app. Activities will include promotion of CURE ID and solicitation of ID expertise for working groups and review panels.

While repurposing off-patent drugs is scientifically promising, it has run into challenges such as inadequate funding to support the necessary research and insufficient data to guide patient care. CURE ID attempts to tackle the latter by having caregivers submit a case report detailing their experiences using an approved drug for an unapproved use onto the app. The app also includes a treatment discussion forum where providers can discuss how to repurpose medication in useful ways while minimizing harmful outcomes.

Inclusion of data in CURE ID’s repository does not confer endorsement of new uses of drugs by FDA, National Institutes of Health, or IDSA. Information made available through CURE ID should only be used as a tool for health care professionals looking to treat rare diseases that lack FDA approved treatments. The app will not allow pharmaceutical companies to promote their products.

While CURE ID is currently only open to infectious diseases that lack adequate treatment, FDA and NIH hope it will be an innovative tool that can ultimately expand to other spaces with high need.