This site is initiated and funded by Recordati Rare Diseases. This website is intended for members of the public in the UK and Ireland.

Who We Are
Of the 7,000 known rare diseases, less than 10% have an available treatment option. Our mission is to reduce the impact of rare and devastating diseases by providing urgently needed medicines.
We believe that each person with a rare disease has the right to the best treatment, and we are dedicated to providing this across a range of therapeutic areas. Our core therapy areas include Endocrinology, Oncology and Metabolic.
Who We Are
Of the 7,000 known rare diseases, less than 10% have an available treatment option. Our mission is to reduce the impact of rare and devastating diseases by providing urgently needed medicines.
We believe that each person with a rare disease has the right to the best treatment, and we are dedicated to providing this across a range of therapeutic areas. Our core therapy areas include Endocrinology, Oncology and Metabolic.
Big thinking for people with rare diseases
Everything we do is driven by the needs of people who have a rare disease:
- Our team believes that each person with a rare disease has the right to the best treatment.
- We have nearly 30 years’ experience in bringing orphan drugs to market for rare diseases, with a portfolio of 13 products and a significant research and development program.
- We are experienced in the development of clinical trials for orphan drugs and in the specialist regulatory, manufacturing and distribution requirements that come with rare diseases.
- Through collaborations with patients, patient groups, experts, healthcare professionals, scientists, policy makers and regulators we aim to improve the health and lives of people living with rare diseases in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and around the world.
- Recordati Rare Diseases is committed to improving the diagnosis and management of rare diseases through our educational work and the Recordati Rare Diseases Foundation.
Big thinking for people with rare diseases
Everything we do is driven by the needs of people who have a rare disease:
- Our team believes that each person with a rare disease has the right to the best treatment.
- We have nearly 30 years’ experience in bringing orphan drugs to market for rare diseases, with a portfolio of 13 products and a significant research and development program.
- We are experienced in the development of clinical trials for orphan drugs and in the specialist regulatory, manufacturing and distribution requirements that come with rare diseases.
- Through collaborations with patients, patient groups, experts, healthcare professionals, scientists, policy makers and regulators we aim to improve the health and lives of people living with rare diseases in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and around the world.
- Recordati Rare Diseases is committed to improving the diagnosis and management of rare diseases through our educational work and the Recordati Rare Diseases Foundation.
Our history
Rare Diseases & Orphan Drugs
An orphan drug is a medicinal product developed for the treatment of a rare disease. The MHRA defines a condition or disease as rare, if it affects fewer than 5 in 10,000 people in Great Britain.
There are over 6,000 known rare diseases, with at least 80% of these having an identified genetic origin. But the total number of identified rare diseases is increasing as genetic research is beginning to explain disease patterns that we didn’t understand before.
This means that 1 in 17 people will suffer from a rare disease at some point – which equates to nearly 4 million people in the UK and 30 million people across Europe. Because they are predominately genetic, most rare diseases are present at birth with estimates citing that 50% of new cases of rare disease are in children.
Rare diseases are therefore not actually that rare at all. They represent a significant cause of illness, making considerable demands on the resources and capacity of health care services.
- On average it takes over 4 years to receive an accurate diagnosis
- The majority of rare diseases currently have no effective treatment
Recordati Rare Diseases has been developing and providing orphan drugs for the treatment of rare diseases since 1990. We believe that every patient has the right to the best possible treatment, especially patients with rare diseases.
Rare Diseases & Orphan Drugs
An orphan drug is a medicinal product developed for the treatment of a rare disease. The MHRA defines a condition or disease as rare, if it affects fewer than 5 in 10,000 people in Great Britain.
There are over 6,000 known rare diseases, with at least 80% of these having an identified genetic origin. But the total number of identified rare diseases is increasing as genetic research is beginning to explain disease patterns that we didn’t understand before.
This means that 1 in 17 people will suffer from a rare disease at some point – which equates to nearly 4 million people in the UK and 30 million people across Europe. Because they are predominately genetic, most rare diseases are present at birth with estimates citing that 50% of new cases of rare disease are in children.
Rare diseases are therefore not actually that rare at all. They represent a significant cause of illness, making considerable demands on the resources and capacity of health care services.
- On average it takes over 4 years to receive an accurate diagnosis
- The majority of rare diseases currently have no effective treatment
Recordati Rare Diseases has been developing and providing orphan drugs for the treatment of rare diseases since 1990. We believe that every patient has the right to the best possible treatment, especially patients with rare diseases.