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Article: Will Big Pharma Embrace Orphans?
- Article from:
- BIOTECH Patent News
- Article date:
- November 1, 2008
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Biotech Patent News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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While most big pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have traditionally depended on blockbuster molecules, it is estimated that $90.0 billion worth of ethical molecules will come off patent during 2007-2012. The industry is therefore considering "niche busters" - orphan drugs that tackle rare diseases - as potential sources of revenue. Orphan drugs are intended for the prevention and treatment of very serious rare diseases such as chronic myeloid leukaemia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, gaucher disease and adrenal cortical carcinoma. Frost & Sullivan estimates that the current global market for "niche busters" is around $26.2 billion.
"There are currently ...