The patentability of repurposed compounds will depend on the specifics of your situation. Your best bet would be to ask a patent attorney.Under the utility patent process, a special type of application known as a provisional patent application is allowed. Claim more than your primary interest. If it is new and unobvious, yes. Novel compounds and methods of use are fairly easy to patent. Patent prosecutioneverything that takes places after a patent application is filed until it issuescan be a complex and lengthy process. (examples) in the application can omit wellknown feature or basic steps in the application.