It is true that most pharma companies concentrate on indications that supply returns to offset the cost of development. The FDA does have a mechanism for Orphan Drug approval, for rare diseases, where the registration requirements are significantly lowered. According to this site 41 orphan drug approvals were made in 2023. Whether this mechanism is good enough allow the promototion of rare disease in the larger pharmaceutical industry is a good question. I wonder how many of these drugs, or their precursors, originated in academic labs,, and were then spun out to a start-up or sold on?
Orphan drugs, yes. But no program for “drugs to more cheaply prevent conditions common in poor people but completely absent in rich people.” That’s the program I’d like to see.
It is true that most pharma companies concentrate on indications that supply returns to offset the cost of development. The FDA does have a mechanism for Orphan Drug approval, for rare diseases, where the registration requirements are significantly lowered. According to this site 41 orphan drug approvals were made in 2023. Whether this mechanism is good enough allow the promototion of rare disease in the larger pharmaceutical industry is a good question. I wonder how many of these drugs, or their precursors, originated in academic labs,, and were then spun out to a start-up or sold on?
Orphan drugs, yes. But no program for “drugs to more cheaply prevent conditions common in poor people but completely absent in rich people.” That’s the program I’d like to see.