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Review
. 2012 Nov;1(4):139-43.
doi: 10.5582/irdr.2012.v1.4.139.

Access to orphan drugs in the Middle East: Challenge and perspective

Ziyad S Almalki  1 , Abdullah K Alahmari  1 , Jeff J Guo  1 , Christina M L Kelton  2
Affiliations
Review

Access to orphan drugs in the Middle East: Challenge and perspective

Ziyad S Almalki et al. Intractable Rare Dis Res. 2012 Nov.

Abstract

An orphan drug is a drug developed specifically to treat a rare medical condition. With a combined population of less than 400 million, about 2.8 million patients are estimated to be suffering from a rare disease in the Middle East. Some disorders such as hemoglobinopathy, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, autosomal recessive syndromes, and several metabolic disorders have a presence throughout the Middle East. In order to promote the treatment of these diseases, Middle Eastern governments need to facilitate education and training of healthcare personnel; develop and execute a method for obtaining and paying for orphan drugs; and, finally, provide tax, marketing, and other incentives to domestic and international firms to develop drugs specifically for the diseases of most importance to Middle Eastern patients.

Keywords: Middle East; Orphan drug; genetic disorder; rare disease.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Estimated number of individuals with a rare disease in the Middle East (estimates obtained by multiplying United Nations' 2012 population estimates by 0.7% and rounding to the nearest 10,000). Source: Middle East outline map available at http://www.zonu.com/fullsize-en/2009-11-17-11130/Middle-East-outline-map.html. Accessed on September 21, 2012.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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