Pharma institute takes up specialised drugs research to combat rare diseases

India is set to expand its footprint into research on drugs that will help prevent as well as treat rare diseases.

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research is getting into research on ‘orphan drugs’ to combat the growing incidence of rare diseases in India. An orphan drug is a pharmaceutical agent developed specifically to treat a rare medical condition. Most of the rare diseases are “orphaned” by the global pharmaceutical industry due to commercial reasons, and are hence known as orphan diseases.

Tie-up The NIPER, which is under the under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, is tying up with the University of Minnesota, which is among a handful of global research institutes that have developed expertise in this area of pharmaceutical research.

“We have just signed the MoU with the University of Minnesota. In June, we will have a joint meeting here, which will include officials from the USFDA and the Indian pharmaceutical regulator, to chalk out the roadmap for orphan drugs research. We will be identifying a set of orphan drugs that can possibly be used for some rare diseases in India,” Ahmed Kamal, Director, said.

In 1983, the US first enacted the Orphan Drugs Act to provide incentives for research into such drugs. Today, over 230 such drugs are available there. After the US, Japan came out with a similar Act almost ten years later, followed by Australia, South Korea and Canada.

6,000 rare ailments It is estimated that about 31 million Indians suffer from some or the other rare disease, mostly genetic in nature, most of which have no cure. Researchers have identified some 6,000 rare diseases in India. “Many of these diseases do not have a name and a few of them are brushed aside as some allergy by doctors. Our research with University of Minnesota will therefore include doctors,” Kamal said. The global orphan drugs market is estimated at more than $50 billion.

COMMENT NOW