Rare diseases have historically been overlooked by the medical community. This class of conditions encompasses over 7,000 distinct disorders, and while each individual disease may be uncommon, collectively they have a profound impact on the lives of more than 400 million people worldwide. But despite this significant and far-reaching impact, the lack of research and treatment options prolongs the journey to diagnosis for these patients and leads to suboptimal outcomes. A study by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases found that as many as 25% of patients endure a wait of 5 to 30 years from the first sign of their symptoms to receive a diagnosis, with 40% initially receiving multiple misdiagnoses, leading to ineffective and unnecessary medical interventions. Additionally, … Continue reading Illuminating the Light on the Rare Disease Community