Rare Diseases Research

Pioneering a new era of precision medicine and enabling breakthroughs in drug discovery and development through rare disease research

Probing the intersection between rare diseases and genetic interventions

Rare diseases, which affect around 300 million people worldwide and are frequently the result of a single nucleotide variation in the gene sequence, offer a unique opportunity for exploring new modalities and molecular insights through research and regulatory pathways.

New therapies like gene and targeted ASO therapy offer a potential cure for rare genetic diseases by introducing functional genes or RNA molecules into patient cells. This is particularly promising for unmet needs and creates opportunities for developing and testing new treatments that benefit a wider population

Challenges in Rare Diseases Management

Rare diseases present unique challenges in the areas of Diagnosis, and Drug Discovery & Development

Lack of awareness and knowledge

Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of rare diseases can have severe consequences for patients, as healthcare providers may not be familiar with these conditions

Limited understanding of disease biology

Many rare diseases have complex underlying biology that is not yet fully understood, making it challenging to develop effective treatments

Funding and resource limitations

Rare diseases often receive less attention and funding than more prevalent diseases, limiting research progress

Small patient populations

Clinical trials may be difficult to set up, and recruiting enough patients to participate can be challenging

Heterogeneity of diseases

Patients with the same rare disease can show varied symptoms, making it challenging to develop universal therapies

Lack of natural history data

Insufficient natural history data for rare diseases can hinder clinical trial design and efficacy assessment

Precision medicine for Rare Diseases

Most rare diseases have a genetic basis, which makes them particularly amenable to novel approaches such as gene therapies, ASO therapies, and RNA therapeutics. They have the potential to offer targeted, personalized treatments for rare diseases. Methods to optimize vectors for gene therapy involve refining their ability to reach specific tissues or cells, utilizing computational techniques to quickly and efficiently optimize vector designs, and ensuring that vectors are safe for human use.

Enhanced vector targeting

Structure-based vector design
Bioinformatics-based target prediction
Rational design of synthetic promoters

Improving vector safety

Genotoxicity assessment
Immunogenicity prediction
Off-target effects analysis

Accelerating vector optimization

Protein-targeted design
Protein structure prediction
AI-based protein engineering

Advancing Research, Therapeutics, and Pharma Industry Innovations

Rare diseases offer unique challenges but provide opportunities for innovation and collaboration across various fields, driving progress and changing the face of medicine.

Accelerated drug development

The suitability of rare diseases for targeted therapies has led to advancements in drug development, benefiting both rare and common diseases

Advancements in precision medicine

Rare diseases are often caused by specific genetic mutations, providing an opportunity to advance precision medicine approaches

Driving innovation in gene therapy

Gene therapy shows promise for treating rare diseases, providing opportunities for pharma companies to develop innovative and transformative therapies

Innovation in production technologies

Challenges in manufacturing rare disease treatments have spurred innovation, resulting in cost-effective processes that benefit rare and common disease treatments

Improved brand image and loyalty

Investing in long-term research for rare diseases demonstrates a commitment to patients, enabling pharma companies to gain a competitive advantage and market share

FDA incentives

Regulatory incentives for drugs targeting rare diseases, such as expedited review and approval processes, can drive innovation in drug development for rare and common diseases

Discover our offerings across the biopharma value chain

Our Solutions

Customizable platforms and solutions across the drug discovery value chain from target discovery to therapeutic development

Our Services

Offering services in computational sciences and technology to complement biopharma R&D

Case Studies

Helping clients accelerate drug discovery and development by building computational biology, computational chemistry, technology, and cloud solutions