Matej Mikulic
Research expert covering health, pharma & medtech
Orphan drugs - Statistics & Facts
A rare disease is characterized by the number of people that it affects in comparison to the general population. In the United States, a disease is qualified as 'rare' if it impacts less than 200 thousand people. Based on European standards, a disease is considered rare if it impacts one person per 2,000. There are approximately up to eight thousand rare diseases, and many are considered chronic and life-threatening conditions. It is also possible that a rare disease in one region may be relatively common in a different region of the world.
