France: A European Leader In Rare Diseases

France has long been a European leader in rare diseases, from its scientific research and academic hospitals, through to patient advocacy and regulatory reforms that have encouraged R&D. Its biotech and pharmaceutical industries are now leading the way, discovering the next generation of therapies for patients that are often overlooked.

French flag
• Source: Shutterstock

Rare disease has become a real area of focus and growth for drug development. According to Citeline’s Pharma R&D Annual Review 2023, more than 30% of all drug development is targeted against rare diseases, with more than 700 separate conditions being investigated. Thanks to clinical breakthroughs and reimbursement schemes that provide access, both the industry and patients have been able to benefit.

This is especially true in France, where its companies have built a portfolio of 178 approved drugs for rare diseases...

More from Global Vision

More from In Vivo

BioBytes: AI-Related Deals In Q2 ‘25

 
• By 

When it came to AI-related deals, the second quarter of 2025 was characterized by mostly modest financings.

Titans Of Pharma: Lilly’s Ricks Tops Big Pharma Pay Chart

 

The big pharma CEO with the highest-valued compensation in 2024 was David Ricks of Eli Lilly, while Pfizer and J&J executives slipped into third and fourth place behind AbbVie's now retired chief Richard Gonzalez. European firms brought up the rear.

Thinking Outside The BIOX: Bioxodes Takes Novel Approach To Intracerebral Hemorrhage

 
• By 

Although intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for only 13% of all strokes, it is responsible for approximately 40% of stroke-related deaths. A Belgian biotech is looking in unusual places to rectify this situation, namely in a tick’s mouth.