COVID-19 response accelerates health care innovation

In the face of the social and economic threats posed by COVID-19, conventional approaches to innovation are being complemented by a fast approach, which repurposes readily available ideas and technology. Drug repurposing, also called drug repositioning, to seek alternative therapeutic uses for existing drugs is a prime example. This method of innovation can save time because expensive and lengthy safety trials have already been conducted. Drug-repurposing initiatives currently underway include four clinical trials launched by the World Health Organization to test promising candidates such as the investigational broad-spectrum antiviral drug remdesivir. (MIT Sloan Management Review story, 6/1/20)