AskBio creates non-profit unit for orphan diseases

North Carolina, USA-based Asklepios BioPharmaceutical has announced the creation of the Chapel Hill Project (www.ChapelHillProject.org), a non-profit organization set up to advance the development of cell and gene therapies for orphan diseases through increased scientific collaboration. AskBio formed the organization in response to the scientific community's request to make its technology accessible to researchers for use in orphan drug development without the payment of any up-front costs.

Due to the small market size of orphan drugs markets, pharmaceutical companies do not generally invest significant funds toward their R&D, says AskBio. As a result, most sufferers of orphan diseases lack adequate treatments. The Chapel Hill Project's main goal is to facilitate the development of therapeutics for life threatening and other burdensome diseases for which no currently viable treatment option exists.