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Does the treatment of rare diseases have a place in tomorrow’s economy in Quebec and Canada?

 

Shire, the Irish pharmaceutical company that specializes in the treatment of rare diseases, bought the American group NPS Pharmaceuticals in February 2015 for US$5.2 billion. There have been other financial deals like this recently, always involving amounts in the billions of dollars.

For some pharmaceutical companies, developing treatments for rare diseases has become a lucrative proposition. Why? The countries in which they operate have attractive government incentives. In the United States and Europe, incentives include faster access to the market and up to 10 years’ exclusivity for drugs for orphan diseases. This ensures that companies that develop treatments for rare diseases can maximize their returns before rival drugs come on the market. Of course these drugs are costly, but the research can also benefit more common diseases. Last year in Europe, more drugs for orphan diseases were authorized than ever before. Only two percent of rare diseases are treatable. Some economists predict that this market, estimated at 100 billion dollars annually, will grow by more than 10% per year over the next few years. In order of importance, the countries dominating this market are Switzerland, France, the United States and Great Britain. These countries enjoy an additional benefit that helps those companies: very active patient advocacy groups to help move research forward and guarantee access to treatment.

In those countries, everyone has understood that investing today in research to discover treatments for rare diseases will benefit society as a whole. Will we in Quebec and in Canada be taking part in this vast movement to conquer diseases such as ataxias? Don’t forget that Quebec is where research on Friedreich’s ataxia began 43 years ago (in 1972), a world premiere. We were innovators and a source of inspiration. At that time, Quebec and Canada boasted a host of enthusiastic people with a sense of innovation and a vision for the future. Where are we at today? In the United States, Europe and elsewhere, economic and scientific strategies are being implemented to conquer rare diseases. In fact, in spite of all the inconceivable and possible hardships, there are still those who believe that medical science can benefit society and help the economy at the same time.

 

Let’s at least model ourselves on the best.

Jean Phénix

My sources: http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2015/01/12/maladies-rares-un-marche-qui-va-croitre-de-10-5-par-an-d-ici-a-2020_4554511_3234.html

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