RADIOPHARMACEUTICALS AS ORPHAN DRUGS

Rare diseases and conditions are defined as diseases or conditions tha t affect less than 200,000 individuals in the United States. Because o f the limited population suffering from any given rare disorder, there is little economic motivation for the development of drug products fo r its diagnosis or treatment. Also, frequently these rare diseases are misdiagnosed or undiagnosed due to a lack of familiarity with their s ymptoms and course. Thus, these rare disorders are commonly referred t o as orphan diseases or conditions. To address this problem, legislati on has been enacted that provides for incentives for the development o f drug products for rare diseases or conditions (ie, orphan drug produ cts). Nuclear medicine scientists can take advantage of these incentiv es in the development of orphan radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment or diagnosis of rare diseases or conditions. Nuclear medicine physici ans should know where information on orphan diseases and orphan radiop harmaceuticals can be obtained to maximize the care of their patients. Copyright (C) 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company.