In 2000, regulation on orphan medicinal products was adopted in the European Union with the aim of benefiting patients who suffer from serious, rare conditions for which there is currently no satisfactory treatment. Since then, more than 850 orphan drug designations have been granted by the European Commission based on a positive opinion from the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP), and more than 60 orphan drugs have received marketing authorization in Europe. Here, stimulated by the tenth anniversary of the COMP, we reflect on the outcomes and experience gained in the past decade, and contemplate issues for the future, such as catalysing drug development for the large number of rare diseases that still lack effective treatments.

Animal models are important tools in the discovery and development of treatments for rare diseases, particularly given the small populations of patients in which to evaluate therapeutic candidates. Here, we provide a compilation of mammalian animal models for metabolic, neuromuscular and ophthalmological orphan-designated conditions based on information gathered by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) since its establishment in 2000, as well as from a review of the literature. We discuss the predictive value of the models and their advantages and limitations with the aim of highlighting those that are appropriate for the preclinical evaluation of novel therapies, thereby facilitating further drug development for rare diseases.

A legislative framework introducing European public health measures on orphan medicinal products came into force in the European Union in April 2000. The aim of the orphan legislation is to stimulate research and development of medicinal products for rare diseases by providing incentives to the sponsors. Incentives include, among others, an unreserved access to the centralized procedure with a 10-year period of market exclusivity and fee reductions including free scientific advice for drug development. Nine years after the implementation of the orphan legislation, more than 690 products have been designated and 58 have received marketing authorizations in Europe. The orphan designations granted to date cover a wide variety of diseases for which there are either no authorized treatments or only limited treatment options with a need for improvement. At the dawn of the tenth anniversary of the orphan legislation, the aim of this article is to review how the European Medicines Agency has supported the mechanisms fostering development of orphan medicines in the E.U. since 2000.