RARE AND NEGLECTED DISEASES

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SOME DISEASES are rare, in that they are experienced by relatively few people. Others are neglected, in that few, if any, drugs are available to treat them. Rare and neglected diseases aren’t rare in their prevalence. When taken together, they affect tens of millions of people in the U.S. and more than 1 billion people worldwide. But “neglected” correctly characterizes their levels of research funding, which need to be greatly increased, according to Ramaiah Muthyala, associate director of the Center for Orphan Drug Research at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. To bring more attention to the problem of rare and neglected diseases, Muthyala and drug discovery consultant Clark N. Eid organized and chaired a Division of Medicinal Chemistry symposium on the subject at the American Chemical Society national meeting in San Francisco last month. “The development of drugs for rare and neglected diseases is slow and too rare,” Muthyala said. “Funding for rare ...