Rare diseases: the bane of modern society and the quest for cures

Drug Repurposing for Rare Diseases

Currently, there are about 7000 identified rare diseases, together affecting 10% of the population. However, fewer than 6% of all rare diseases have an approved treatment option, highlighting their tremendous unmet needs in drug development. The process of repurposing drugs for new indications, compared with the development of novel orphan drugs, is a time-saving and cost-efficient method resulting in higher success rates, which can therefore drastically reduce the risk of drug development for rare diseases. Although drug repurposing is not novel, new strategies have been developed in recent years to do it in a systematic and rational way. Here, we review applied methodologies, recent accomplished progress, and the challenges associated in drug repurposing for rare diseases.

Analysis of patient access to orphan drugs in Turkey

BACKGROUND

Rare diseases are life-threatening, serious, and chronic conditions that require complex care and have a low prevalence. An estimated one in 15 people worldwide are affected by rare diseases. This study aims to analyze the accessibility, reimbursement status, licensed status, and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes of drugs that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Turkey considers to be "orphan" pharmaceuticals.

METHODS

The drugs included in this analysis were obtained from the list of orphan drugs published by the EMA. Orphan drugs' accessibility and licensing status in Turkey were obtained from the Health Implementation Communiqué published by the Social Security Institution (SGK) and the List of Abroad Active Substance and List of Licensed Products published by the Turkey Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK). Descriptive analysis was applied to determine the accessibility status of orphan drugs identified by the EMA in Turkey.

RESULTS

Based on the EMA, 105 pharmaceuticals were approved with "orphan drug" status except for drugs that have lost orphan drug status, decommissioned in the European Union and withdrawn from the European Community Register by January 2020. Of the 105 rare drugs on the EMA list, 34 were inaccessible in Turkey. Of the 71 available drugs, 23 (32%) were licensed and 48 (68%) were unlicensed in Turkey. 17 (74%) of licensed products and 17 (35%) of unlicensed products were covered by reimbursement. When orphan drugs' ATC codes were examined, the most common ATC group was found to be "L-Antineoplastic and Immunomodulatory" agents.

CONCLUSION

An orphan drug incentive policy is very important to ensure early access to the drugs used to treat rare diseases. Considering the capacity and prices for orphan drugs in Turkey, it can be said that many patients with rare diseases have difficulty in their treatment. It is obvious that such a policy must prepare for the regulation of orphan drugs in Turkey.

Primeros 2 años del registro municipal de enfermedades huérfanas-raras de Cali e identificación de algunas variables sociodemográficas y clínicas asociadas a mortalidad

Introducción: en los últimos años Colombia reconoció las enfermedades huérfanas-raras como problema de interés en salud pública y ordenó su notificación obligatoria. Objetivo: describir la información sobre las enfermedades huérfanas-raras obtenida en Cali a través del SIVIGILA en los primeros 2 años de registro. Materiales y métodos: estudio observacional transversal analítico. Se calcularon frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Se realizó un análisis de normalidad con el Test Shapiro-Wilk. Se calcularon prevalencias. Se evaluó la relación de diferentes variables sociodemográficas y clínicas y el riesgo de mortalidad usando modelos lineales generalizados, la familia de distribución de Poisson con función de enlace logarítmica y modelos de varianza. Resultados: fueron notificados 635 casos: 78 en el 2016 (prevalencia 3,25/100.0009) y 557 en el 2017 (prevalencia 23,01/100.000). La mayoría de los casos pertenecen al régimen contributivo. Las comunas con mayor número de casos y mayor prevalencia fueron la 17 y la 22. Entre las primeras enfermedades huérfanas-raras más comunes está la drepanocitosis, fue la más notificada en Cali con 25 casos para el 2016 (prevalencia 1,04/100.000) y 77 casos para el 2017 (prevalencia 3,1/100.000). La tasa cruda de mortalidad estimada para el periodo de estudio fue 0,83/100.000, las enfermedades con mayor mortalidad fueron la drepanocitosis en mujeres (0,12/100.000) y la polineuropatía en hombres (0,13/100.000). Discusión: es necesario realizar y publicar en el futuro análisis más profundos a través de la revisión detallada de historias clínicas y la incorporación de otras fuentes disponibles, como el Registro Individual de la Prestación de Servicios (RIPS) y el Registro Único de Afiliados (RUAF), con el fin de disminuir el subregistro y suministrar a toda la comunidad información más precisa y detallada.

[Dental-craniofacial manifestation and treatment of rare diseases in China]

Rare diseases are genetic, chronic, and incurable disorders with relatively low prevalence. Thus, diagnosis and management strategies for such diseases are currently limited. This situation is exacerbated by insufficient medical sources for these diseases. The National Health and Health Committee of China recently first provided a clear definition of 121 rare diseases in the Chinese population. In this study, we summarize several dental-craniofacial manifestations associated with some rare diseases to provide a reference for dentists and oral maxillofacial surgeons aiming at fast-tracking diagnosis for the management of these rare diseases.

Dental-craniofacial manifestation and treatment of rare diseases

Rare diseases are usually genetic, chronic and incurable disorders with a relatively low incidence. Developments in the diagnosis and management of rare diseases have been relatively slow due to a lack of sufficient profit motivation and market to attract research by companies. However, due to the attention of government and society as well as economic development, rare diseases have been gradually become an increasing concern. As several dental-craniofacial manifestations are associated with rare diseases, we summarize them in this study to help dentists and oral maxillofacial surgeons provide an early diagnosis and subsequent management for patients with these rare diseases.

Rare genetic diseases: update on diagnosis, treatment and online resources

Rare genetic diseases collectively impact a significant portion of the world's population. For many diseases there is limited information available, and clinicians can find difficulty in differentiating between clinically similar conditions. This leads to problems in genetic counseling and patient treatment. The biomedical market is affected because pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries do not see advantages in addressing rare disease treatments, or because the cost of the treatments is too high. By contrast, technological advances including DNA sequencing and analysis, together with computer-aided tools and online resources, are allowing a more thorough understanding of rare disorders. Here, we discuss how the collection of various types of information together with the use of new technologies is facilitating diagnosis and, consequently, treatment of rare diseases.

Key Challenges in the Search for Innovative Drug Treatments for Special Populations. Converging Needs in Neonatology, Pediatrics, and Medical Genetics

The explosion of knowledge concerning the interplay of genetic and environmental factors determining pathophysiology and guiding therapeutic choice has altered the landscape in pediatric clinical pharmacology and pharmacy. The need for innovative research methods and design expertise for small clinical trials to be undertaken in sparse populations has been accentuated. At the same time, shortfalls in critical human resources represent a key challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the need for new research and education directions is greatest. Unless a specific action plan is urgently developed, there will be a continuing gap in availability of the essential expertise needed to address treatment challenges in special patient populations such as neonates, patients suffering from rare or neglected diseases, and children of all ages.