Orphan Medical Recives US Approval For Cystadane

- US company Orphan Medical has received US Food and Drug Administration marketing approval for Cystadane (betaine anhydrous), the first drug for the treatment of homocystinuria, a rare genetical disorder that affects around 1,000 people in the USA. Cystadane was found to reduce elevated plasma homocysteine levels, which is the root cause of many of the disease's manifestations eg psychiatric disorders, early thromboembolism and skeletal abnormalities. The product is available from the company under a direct-to-patient distribution system.