Using Social Finance to Fund Generic Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases: A Social Impact Bond Proof of Concept

RS Thompson, J Potter, A Griffiths, S Eljamel, F Raffai, NT Sireau, Value in Health, Volume 19, Issue 7, November 2016, Pages A505-A506, ISSN 1098-3015, doi:10.1016/j.jval.2016.09.923.

Repurposing existing generic pharmaceuticals to treat rare diseases with an unmet medical need has a number of clear benefits; reducing the investment required in drug discovery, and leveraging known information on drug behaviour and safety often in multiple patient populations. Findacure, a  charitable organisation, have completed a proof of concept study into the use of social finance to fund generic drug repurposing research. The proof of concept involved the development of health economic models for congenital hyperinsulinism, Wolfram syndrome, and Friedreich’s ataxia. This study has demonstrated that generic drug repurposing has the potential to save the healthcare system quantities of money sufficient to repay investment in a clinical trial, and build an investable and sustainable financial proposition. Crucially this model would deliver much needed new treatments to rare disease patients, treatments which would otherwise be considered financially inviable.