orphan drug

American  

noun

1. Pharmacology. a drug that remains undeveloped or untested or is otherwise neglected because of limited potential for commercial gain.

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Etymology

Origin of orphan drug

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orphan drug

Eli Lilly’s experimental cancer treatment, olomorasib, receives orphan drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

"They are essentially buying an orphan drug portfolio," Yaron Werber, an analyst at TD Cowen, told Reuters.

From Reuters ● Sep. 5, 2023

Libmeldy is a so-called orphan drug - a pharmaceutical agent developed to treat a medical condition which, because it is so rare, may not be profitable to produce without some form of government assistance.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2022

Two years after this child got her diagnosis, the Food and Drug Administration approved an orphan drug designed specifically for this disorder, called burosumab.

From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2021

Also last year, an experimental drug developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals for Alzheimer’s disease and ALS received orphan drug designation from the U.S.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 11, 2021