Glioblastoma is the most common and lethal brain malignancy. Standard treatment consists of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and results in life expectancy of 15 months after diagnosis. Due to the specific location of the tumor, designing new drugs is complicated and expensive. Drug repur- posing is an economic and time-saving way for identification of alternative treatment options. Nu- merous existing drugs whose initial purpose was not to treat cancer, have already proven successful against glioblastoma. For glioblastoma, attention is paid to antidiabetic drugs, antipsychotics and antiepileptics that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Studies show that adding the antidiabetic metformin or antiepileptic drug valproic acid to the standard glioblastoma therapy might prolong patient survival. However, the exact mechanisms of action should further be studied and possible interactions should be examined in order to avoid unnecessary complications and adverse effects.
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