Unmet needs in orphan diseases therapy offer opportunity for Big Pharma; report

Patients suffering from orphan diseases can look forward to a wider range of drug options in the future, according to a new report by pharmaceuticals expert GBI Research. The new report shows that the relatively unsatisfied market for orphan disease drugs could prove to be a big hit for pharmaceutical companies able to improve upon the limited options currently available to patients.

GBI Research’s analysis of industry trends suggests that the orphan disease therapeutics market is likely to see a steady increase in value over the forecast period. There are more than 6,000 different orphan diseases recognized in the US, while in Europe there are around 5,000 to 8,000 orphan diseases affecting almost 29–36 million people. However, only a very small number of drugs are currently available to treat these diseases, indicating a high level of unmet need in terms of safety, efficacy and availability.

Market sector to grow to $6 billion by 2018