The European project RePo-SUDOE held its first conference on December 17th and 18th at the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Portugal, with the participation of the team led by researcher Carlos Fernández Lozano from CITIC of UDC. This initiative, focused on developing and disseminating innovative technologies for drug repurposing, aims to increase the competitiveness of the SUDOE area in the field of biopharmaceutical research and development, promoting the reuse of existing drugs for new therapeutic applications. The main objective of the project is to accelerate innovation, reduce the costs associated with developing new drugs, and offer solutions that benefit the industry, society, and patients.

On the first day of the event, the General Assembly of the project took place, where beneficiaries learned about the current status of ongoing activities and the planning of upcoming challenges. During this day, work sessions and technical discussions were held, fostering a collaborative and learning environment among the participating partners and entities. Carlos Fernández Lozano, as the principal investigator of the project from the University of A Coruña, presented the advances in his area along with the other leaders of Working Groups 2 and 3. This meeting serves to strengthen synergies among sector professionals, promote transnational cooperation, and lay the foundations for future initiatives in the field of drug repurposing.

The team led by Carlos Fernández Lozano will contribute to the development of advanced tools aimed at enhancing personalized medicine.

Among the main contributions of CITIC are the design and development of a comprehensive database, web and mobile applications, and the computational implementation of repurposing through machine learning techniques. These tools will allow the analysis of omics data from patients, cell lines, and drug responses at different doses. The integration of this information will enable the study of pharmacological interactions and the optimization of treatments.

The second day was marked by the celebration of the first conference of the RePo-SUDOE project, which brought together experts in the field of drug repurposing. This conference provided a platform to share knowledge about the latest trends, European initiatives, and success stories in the use of existing drugs for new therapies. Additionally, key technological advances developed within the project were presented, and opportunities and challenges faced by the SUDOE region to establish itself as a European reference in this field were discussed. The event concluded with a round table analyzing the future of drug repurposing and its impact on the competitiveness of the SUDOE area.

About RePo-SUDOE

RePo-SUDOE represents a pioneering collaboration among partners from various regions of southwestern Europe and different links in the drug development value chain. Its focus on multidisciplinary collaboration and the development of innovative technologies addresses the high costs, delays, and failure rates of new drug development while strengthening research in the region and attracting skilled talent. Among its notable achievements is the creation of a 3D visualization room with virtual and augmented reality technologies, designed to offer an educational and interactive experience to students, researchers, and professionals.

This RePo-SUDOE conference is an opportunity to learn about scientific and technological advances in drug repurposing, as well as a key meeting point for research staff, companies, and entities in the biopharmaceutical sector. Through the exchange of knowledge and experiences, this forum contributes to strengthening the SUDOE region’s position in biopharmaceutical innovation and exploring new development and collaboration opportunities.

RePo-SUDOE is a European project funded by the Interreg Sudoe program through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with an eligible budget of €1,817,387.21 and an ERDF grant of €1,363,040.40. It is being developed during the period 2021-2027, starting on January 1, 2024, and ending on December 31, 2026. The project’s beneficiaries include the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, University of A Coruña, University of Santiago de Compostela, MD.USE Innovations S.L., SPSP – Portuguese Society of Public Health, National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and the Galician Health Cluster Association.