orphan drug

American  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of orphan drug

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

The company also noted a slower ramp-up for some rare and orphan drug programs as impacting the product mix and growth forecasts.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

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

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

The conference committee’s treatment of the so-called orphan drug tax credit — which would have been eliminated by the House bill but protected by the Senate bill — was still unclear as of Friday morning.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2017

"The company said there were 100,000 patients in the United States for neutrophilic dermatoses, and with premium orphan drug pricing, they could make up for the loss of acne and EOA," she said.

From Reuters • Mar. 5, 2014