EU Orphan Designations Fall Sharply In 2017

The number of medicines awarded orphan designation in the EU has fallen for the first time since 2013. In 2017 there were 144, considerably fewer than in 2016 when there were 209. In the meantime, orphan drug advocacy group Eurordis says radical change is needed if patients are to have broader access to these important but often highly priced drugs.

pills-tablets-glass-container_69512212_1200 — Orphan Drug Designations Fall in the EU in 2017

The number of products awarded an orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency in 2017 fell by almost a third. In 2017, 144 designations were awarded compared with 209 in 2016, a fall of 31%.

The decline in designations by the EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) in 2017 bucks a trend that saw...