My understanding of repurposed drugs seem to be the way the...

My understanding of repurposed drugs seem to be the way the industry is heading at the moment.As shareholders we are reminded that Nadolol would be a first in class treatment for Asthma,Copd and cystic fibrosis.
As Chris Yochim a former head of external relations for AstraZeneca said "Repurposing drugs, from big pharma's perspective, is a concept whose time has come, and they look to extract value from all their products – including those that might have been shelved in years past – by working with small, nimble companies that are able to develop new ways to apply those assets," he said. "
"AstraZeneca acquired Pearl Therapeutics for up to $1.15 billion after the private, California-based company raised $232 million over six years to take a repurposed generic to late-stage trial for the treatment of COPD."this was achieved after phase 2 trials.AstraZenica completed phase 3.
Now if we have a potential first in class repurposed life saving drug, would we not be worth more.Would they not face the same level of difficulty in protecting their asset from unfair competition What happened to the 20 or so parties that were interested?