orphan drug
noun
: a drug that is not developed or marketed because its extremely limited use makes it unprofitable
Examples of orphan drug in a Sentence
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That’s especially shocking considering that, over the four years prior to the passage of the bill, the number of orphan drugs that received a second indication had been steadily increasing.
—
Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The company has received 'orphan drug' designation for LP-10 and LP-410, providing potential market exclusivity benefits.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
The consequence of this is to disincentivize orphan drug development for rare cancers and other diseases.
—Jack Kalavritinos, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2025
Last September, the FDA granted orphan drug status to its treatment for neuroendocrine carcinoma, a designation which helps drug companies working on potentially life-saving drugs, where treatments are lacking, get to market more efficiently.
—Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
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Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
The company has received 'orphan drug' designation for LP-10 and LP-410, providing potential market exclusivity benefits.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
The consequence of this is to disincentivize orphan drug development for rare cancers and other diseases.
—Jack Kalavritinos, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2025
Last September, the FDA granted orphan drug status to its treatment for neuroendocrine carcinoma, a designation which helps drug companies working on potentially life-saving drugs, where treatments are lacking, get to market more efficiently.
—Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for orphan drug
Cite this Entry
“Orphan drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orphan%20drug. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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