China has formed a unique coalition aimed at creating new medicines for people with rare diseases in the world’s most-populous nation.
China Daily, the country’s government-run English-language newspaper, reports the Alliance for Rare Diseases held its first meeting last month in Beijing. China Daily reports the alliance consists of more than 50 groups, including medical institutes, universities, academic institutions and biotechs.
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Ma Xiaowei, the head of China’s National Health Commission, tells the newspaper that the group will concentrate the country’s resources to address rare diseases and will provide a boost in treatment of conditions.
In May, China released its first-ever list of rare diseases affecting its citizens. The list includes 121 conditions that include hemophilia, hereditary angioedema and primary combined immune deficiency.
As a global biotech leader, CSL Behring has a manufacturing site in Wuhan, China. With more than 300 employees, the site manufactures lifesaving therapies for patients with rare diseases.
