Orphan drug is used to -
Treat common condition with significant profit to manufacturer
Treat rare condition with significant profit to manufacturer
Treat rare condition with no expectation of profit
None of the above
Ans. is 'c' i.e., Treat rare condition with no expectation of profit Orphan drugso These are drugs or biological products for diagnosis/prevention of a rare disease or condition, or a more common disease (endemic only in resource poor countries) for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and marketing it will be recovered from the sales of that drug.o The list includes sodium nitrite, fomepizole, liposomal amphotericin B, miltefosine, rifabutin, succimer, somatropin, digoxin immune Fab (digoxin antibody), liothyronine (T3) and many moreo Though these drugs may be life saving for some patients, they are commercially difficult to obtain as a medicinal product.o Government in developed countries offer tax benefits and other incentives to pharmaceutical companies for developing and marketing orphan drugs (e.g. Orphan Drug Act in USA).
Clinical Trials