Integrative Analysis of Drug Co-Prescriptions in Peritoneal Dialysis Reveals Molecular Targets and Novel Strategies for Intervention

Background/Objectives: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a renal replacement therapy for patients with kidney failure. Managing PD patients often involves addressing a complex interplay of comorbidities and complications, necessitating the use of multiple medications. This study aimed to systematically characterize commonly co-prescribed drugs in PD and to identify novel drug combinations that may target dysregulated molecular mechanisms associated with PD’s pathophysiology. Methods: We analyzed clinical records from 702 PD patients spanning 30 years, encompassing over 5500 prescription points. Using network-based modeling techniques, we assessed drug co-prescription patterns, clinical outcomes, and longitudinal treatment trends. To explore potential drug repurposing opportunities, we constructed a molecular network model of PD based on a consolidated transcriptomics dataset and integrated this with drug–target interaction information. Results: We found commonly prescribed drugs such as furosemide, sucroferric oxyhydroxide, calcitriol, darbepoetin alfa, and aluminum hydroxide to be integral components of PD patient management, prescribed in over 30% of PD patients. The molecular-network-based approach found combinations of drugs like theophylline, fluoxetine, celecoxib, and amitriptyline to possibly have synergistic effects and to target dysregulated molecules of PD-related pathomechanisms. Two further distinct categories of drugs emerged as particularly interesting in our study: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were found to modulate molecules implicated in peritoneal fibrosis, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, which exhibit anti-fibrotic properties that are potentially useful for PD. Conclusions: This comprehensive exploration of drug co-prescriptions in the context of PD-related pathomechanisms provides valuable insights for opening future therapeutic strategies and identifying new targets for drug repurposing.