Study explores repurposing drug for Cushing’s syndrome to help patients with resistant ovarian cancer

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:59:00 +0200

A recent study has found that a medication originally developed to treat Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder caused by excessive cortisol, may also offer promise for patients struggling with treatment-resistant ovarian cancer. Researchers observed that the drug, which helps regulate cortisol levels, could interfere with certain mechanisms that allow cancer cells to survive standard therapies. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and, for a significant number of patients, chemotherapy and other interventions eventually lose effectiveness. The study proposes that targeting similar pathways between endocrine and cancer physiology might yield new therapeutic benefits. These findings provide a new direction for researchers hoping to repurpose existing, approved medications for oncology use—a strategy that could save time and reduce costs compared to developing entirely new cancer drugs. While the study shows early promise, scientists emphasize that further clinical tri