orphan drug designation

Orphan drug designation is a special status given to treatments aimed at rare diseases, which affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. This designation encourages pharmaceutical companies to develop these drugs by providing benefits like tax credits, less stringent clinical trial requirements, and a period of market exclusivity after approval. The goal is to incentivize research and development for conditions that might otherwise be overlooked due to the limited potential market. By supporting these drugs, we hope to improve care options for patients with rare diseases.