The World Orphan Drug Alliance (WODA) has announced its expansion to China for the first time, welcoming the addition of RareStone Group as a new member. RareStone Group is a China-based biopharma and patient platform focused on rare diseases. WODA is a global alliance of commercial distributors dedicated to providing access to treatments for rare diseases and specialty medicines.
WODA’s Role and Services
WODA acts as a full-service provider, offering support to pharmaceutical partners with orphan portfolios. Its services include consultancy for market access, pricing, portfolio design, and launch strategy, as well as organizing named-patient programs. This comprehensive support helps in the commercialization of orphan drugs.
RareStone Group’s Initiatives
China has the world’s largest rare disease population, estimated at around 20 million, but faces significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment access. RareStone Group is addressing these issues through its two subsidiaries: Citrine Medicine and Zircon Health. Citrine Medicine is a pharmaceutical company with a pipeline of four clinical-stage drugs targeting conditions such as narcolepsy/sleep apnea, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, hypothalamic obesity, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Zircon Health is an online platform that provides rare disease education, promotes disease screening and diagnosis, offers full-cycle disease management, and explores innovative payment options for patients.
Significance of the Expansion
The partnership between WODA and RareStone Group aims to enhance access to orphan drug treatments in China, improving the quality of life for patients with rare diseases. This collaboration is expected to drive innovation and progress in the rare disease sector, addressing critical unmet needs.-Fineline Info & Tech
