AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) has received orphan drug status in the US for tremelimumab, a treatment for a cancer of the linings of the lung and abdomen called malignant mesothelioma.
An orphan drug is one that addresses niche ailments that often don’t provide huge payback for the drug companies.
In the States the Food & Drug Administration deems this to be a disease or disorder that affects fewer than 200,000 people.
To encourage firms to develop drugs for rare illnesses, regulators will fast-track them onto the market so long as they are safe to use.
"There is a significant need for new treatment options for patients with mesothelioma because fewer than five percent of patients currently survive beyond five years, even when they receive timely diagnosis and care,” said AstraZeneca senior vice president Robert Iannone.
“Our aim is to rapidly advance the development of tremelimumab as a potential new treatment option for these patients."
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