Rare Diseases Act of 2002

The Rare Diseases Act of 2002 is a piece of legislation passed by the United States Congress in 2002. The Act was designed to increase federal support for research into rare diseases and conditions, and to improve the availability of treatments for these conditions.

Background

The Rare Diseases Act of 2002 was passed in response to the growing recognition of the need for research into rare diseases. These are diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Prior to the Act, there was limited federal support for research into these diseases, and few treatments were available.

Provisions

The Act established the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The ORD's role is to coordinate and support research into rare diseases, and to ensure that this research is integrated into the NIH's overall research portfolio.

The Act also increased funding for research into rare diseases, and established a grant program to support this research. The grant program is administered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is designed to encourage the development of new treatments for rare diseases.

Impact

Since the Act was passed, there has been a significant increase in research into rare diseases, and a number of new treatments have been developed. However, there is still a need for further research and for the development of more treatments.

See also

• Orphan Drug Act
• National Institutes of Health
• Food and Drug Administration