Celebrating the Orphan Drug Act
By Michael Eging, Executive Director, RAAP: On January 4, 1983, the Orphan Drug Act (ODA), which created incentives for the development of rare disease medicines, was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. This achievement came after a focused advocacy effort that was led by Abbie Miers and the newly formed patient advocacy organization the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Bipartisan leadership in the House, championed by Henry Waxman (D-CA), and in the Senate by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) changed the trajectory of rare disease research and development.
