FDA Awards More Than $38 Million in Funding in Rare Disease Grants and Contracts

The FDA is awarding 19 new grants and two new contracts totaling more than $38 million over the next four years to support clinical trials, natural history studies and regulatory science tools related to rare diseases.

The funding comes from the agency’s Orphan Products Grants Program, which awards grants to clinical investigators to support the development of medical products for treating rare diseases.

The awards include funding for studies for rare cancers such as cancers of the brain and peripheral nerves.

“One of the greatest obstacles facing individuals who suffer from rare diseases is the limited treatment options currently available,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf.