orphan disease

noun

or·​phan disease ˈȯr-fən- How to pronounce orphan disease (audio)
: a disease which affects a relatively small number of individuals and for which no drug therapy has been developed because the small market would make the research and the drug unprofitable

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Cite this Entry

“Orphan disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/orphan%20disease. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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