Effectiveness of drug repurposing approach against Candida isolates

Over the past three decades, there has been an increase in the severity of fungal infections, affecting several individuals and claiming the lives of more than 1.6 million people every year. Species of Candida are one of the causatives of invasive fungal infections, and the extensive use of antifungals for their treatment has led to the emergence of drug resistance in these species, highlighting the need for the exploration of effective and cost-effective therapeutics. Drug repurposing is an important solution for alternative therapeutics. There are many studies where antifungal indications of any existing drug have been analyzed with an aim to establish new antimycotic therapeutics in a short time and with a lower budget. In this review, efforts are made to compile the literature on repurposed drugs against clinical isolates of Candida and fungal pathogens to better illustrate drug repurposing's role in the treatment of candidiasis.