Big Pharma's new model in orphan drugs and rare diseases

Abstract

For many years the highly profitable pharmaceutical companies had no interest in the rare disease community or its need for orphan product development. The collective rare disease market by definition was small. It did not offer the profits of drugs like antihypertensives with a market of more than 25 million patients. However, nothing stays the same. The blockbuster model that traditionally drove the pharmaceutical industry seems to have lost its relevance. “Big Pharma” has reached out for a new model and found that orphan drugs may be the answer.