Big Pharma and the Growth and Outlook for Orphan Drugs

Orphan drugs, therapeutics that target small patient populations, have become an enticing area for Big Pharma as companies are attracted to the premium prices, lower development costs, and faster path to market. A new EvaluatePharma report on the Orphan Drug market forecasts a compounded annual sales growth rate of more than 11 percent through 2022 with orphan drug accounting more than 20 percent of total worldwide prescription sales by then. We spoke to Jon Gardner, U.S. editor for EP Vantage, about the growth of orphan drugs, what’s driving the sector, and whether the way the industry is taking advantage of the Orphan Drug Act will cause policymakers to push back.