Aligning Interests in Rare Disease Partnerships

Partnering is essential to advancing rare disease therapies, but while researchers, drugmakers, and patient groups share a common desire to bring new treatments to market, differences in how they operate, their culture, and priorities can derail progress. We spoke to Karen Erickson, associate executive director of community engagement at the Alpha-1 Foundation, about the elements of successful partnering, how to align the differing interests of the participants, and how to get everyone to work together to achieve common goals.