Since US senators in February conveyed the impression that drug developers might have misused market monopolies related to orphan drugs (ODs) to overprice their compounds, the status has come under closer scrutiny. Neither the US nor Europe currently have consistent approaches for deriving value for OD therapies. Pooling expertise and scattered patient data across borders could help ease both diagnosis and development, providing a foundation for pricing and giving patients much faster access to treatments.
Orphan drugs: Treating a rarity
BackgroundSince US senators in February conveyed the impression that drug developers might have misused market monopolies related to orphan drugs (ODs) to overprice their compounds, the status has come under closer scrutiny. Neither the US nor Europe currently have consistent approaches for deriving value for OD therapies. Pooling expertise and scattered patient data across borders could help ease both diagnosis and development, providing a foundation for pricing and giving patients much faster access to treatments.
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