Eyeing New Uses for Protease Inhibitors

A paper in the Journal of Clinical Investigation indicates that HIV protease inhibitors could be repurposed as neuroprotectants to block apoptosis in age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other conditions involving neuronal apoptosis.¹ The findings add to mounting evidence demonstrating that HIV protease inhibitors can treat indications beyond HIV-including cancer.

Companies contacted by SciBX agreed that the compounds' proven safety profiles made them promising candidates for repurposing in a range of non-HIV indications...