Why Policy Blocks Progress in Drug Repurposing With: Bob Battista

Healthcare leaders ask why proven medicines still aren’t widely reused. In this short conversation, Bob Battista explains that the core barrier to drug repurposing isn’t technology—it’s policy and incentives. While AI drug repurposing and real‑world data can surface new indications, the most valuable knowledge remains locked inside pharmaceutical organizations and constrained by regulatory risk and reimbursement dynamics. Battista outlines how safe‑harbor data sharing and new financial instruments could let companies support niche indications without eroding primary markets, accelerating access for patients and clinicians. He also highlights the untapped insights from physicians’ off‑label use and patient experience—critical signals the healthcare system rarely aggregates. If you work in market access, clinical operations, or digital health, this is a clear roadmap to move the drug repurposing market from potential to practice.