News Briefs

ICORD 2008

Global Approaches for Rare Diseases Research and Orphan Products Development

May 20-22, 2008
Washington DC, USA

The 4th International Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs (ICORD) will take place in Washington, DC, on May 20-22, 2008. All individuals active in rare diseases and/or orphan products are invited.

Co-organizers of the program are Stephen Groft, PharmD, Director of the Office of Rare Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, and Jan-Inge Henter, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

The meeting will be held in conjunction with NORD’s 2008 Tribute Banquet and with a meeting of the NORD Corporate Council.

The overall aim of the ICORD 2008 meeting will be to develop constructive international collaborations from which patients will benefit. The ICORD mission is to improve the welfare of people affected by rare diseases through enhanced knowledge, research, care, information, education and awareness.

More information on this meeting is provided on the website of ICORD: www.icord.se. The themes for ICORD 2008 will be:

• Facilitating the Harmonization of the Regulatory Processes
• Linking Academic Discoveries and Industry
• Product Development Resources
• Rare Diseases Research Assessment Tools
• Clinical Trials of Rare Diseases and Orphan Products
• Genetic Testing
• Meeting Patient and Family Needs Across the Lifespan--Model Programs
• Expanding the Information and Research Borders for Rare Diseases