A Push in Canada for a National Rare Disease Strategy

Only 60 percent of treatments for rare disorders make it into Canada and most get approved up to six years later than in the United States and Europe, according to the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders. In an effort to change the rare disease landscape in Canada, CORD has released a multi-pronged rare disease strategy for the country. We spoke to Durhane Wong-Rieger, president and CEO of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, about the need for a national strategy, the effort to pass a regulatory framework for orphan drugs, and what it will take to make a national strategy a reality.