Rare diseases are a serious public health concern and a priority in the EU health and research programmes.
Rare Diseases
In the EU, a rare disease is one which affects fewer than 5 people per 10 000. The number of sufferers may still be high, however, as there are some 7 000 known rare diseases. Most are caused by genetic defects, but environmental exposure during pregnancy or later in life, often in combination with genetic susceptibility, is another cause.
Links to the EU activities
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Public Health
- Rare diseases
EU initiatives and activities to address rare diseases
- Rare Diseases Task Force
The Task Force objectives to promote the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases
- EU-funded projects
Links to projects funded by the European Commission to address rare diseases (1999-2003)
- Rare diseases
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Orphan Drugs
- Orphan medicinal products
Legislative provisions and advances concerning orphan drugs in the EU
- Scientific opinions
European Medicines Agency opinions and evaluations concerning orphan drugs
- Scientific Committee on Medicinal Products and Medical Devices
Scientific and technical opinions on EU legislation concerning medicinal products and medical devices (up to 2003)
- Orphan medicinal products
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Research
- Combating rare diseases
Community-funded projects in the field of life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health and rare diseases
- Cell factory
Links to EU projects aimed at developing innovative and effective therapy for rare lung diseases
- Combating rare diseases
