FDA's "Orphan Drug" Designation Warps Medical Research
Joseph V. Gulfo
Visiting Scholar
With Earth Day and Arbor Day now in our rearview mirror, the countdown to a host of other summertime days of celebration such as Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day can begin. This reminds me of when I was 10 years old, and I complained to my father that there is a Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents’ Day, Teacher’s Day and Secretary’s Day, but no Child’s Day. My father exclaimed, “Every day is Child’s Day!”
While we focus a good amount of attention on days like this, it’s worth noting that another special day recently passed us by with little fanfare: Did you know that there is a Rare Diseases Day? It’s Feb. 28. (My friend and health care scholar Bob Graboyes of the Mercatus Center quipped that it should be February 29th. Exactly!)