September 20, 2026 — 5:00am

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Sometimes, the drugs that transform our society are stumbled upon by pure happenstance.

Viagra was initially developed to treat chest pain, until clinical trial participants reported a surprising – though not entirely unwelcome – side effect.

Minoxidil was first produced for hypertension, but when its impacts on male pattern baldness became an open secret, researchers were forced to pivot, with the topical medication now one of the most common treatments for hair loss.

“In research, they call it repurposing,”…

Read the full article at SMH.COM.AU