Here in the United States, rare diseases are categorized as such if they affect less than roughly 650 patients per million people of this country’s total population. Over in Europe in the relatively newly formed European Union, a rare disease is noted or categorized as being rare if it affects less than 500 patients per million of its population. Even rarer diseases yet, which are referred to as ultra-rare, are assigned that distinction when less than 20 patients per million suffer from them. Sometimes known as a specialty disease, rare and ultra rare diseases are quickly becoming the focus of pharmaceutical companies looking to produce niche drugs.
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