BioCentury
ARTICLE | Editor's Commentary

Emerging models point to a new operating system for rare disease innovation

It is time to integrate advances from around the globe to realize the potential to treat millions who suffer from very rare conditions: a Perspective

February 28, 2026 12:43 AM UTC

Around the world, regulators, clinicians, patient groups and biotechs are stumbling into new models for creating and delivering treatments for rare diseases. There’s no overarching plan and little coordination. 

What is emerging is not just a set of experiments, but the outline of a new operating system for rare disease innovation, one that combines new rules and workflows for evidence generation, approval, payment and delivery...