42 USC 236 - Orphan Products Board

U.S Code last checked for updates: Oct 21, 2026

§ 236.

Orphan Products Board

(a)

Establishment; composition; chairman

(b)

Function

(c)

Duties with respect to drugs for rare diseases or conditions

In the case of drugs for rare diseases or conditions the Board shall—

(1)

evaluate—

(A)

the effect of subchapter B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 360aa et seq.] on the development of such drugs, and

(B)

the implementation of such subchapter; 1

 So in original. The semicolon probably should be a comma.

(2)

evaluate the activities of the National Institutes of Health for the development of drugs for such diseases or conditions,

(3)

assure appropriate coordination among the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the carrying out of their respective functions relating to the development of drugs for such diseases or conditions to assure that the activities of each agency are complementary,

(4)

assure appropriate coordination among all interested Federal agencies, manufacturers, and organizations representing patients, in their activities relating to such drugs,

(5)

with the consent of the sponsor of a drug for a rare disease or condition exempt under section 505(i) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 355(i)

] or regulations issued under such section, inform physicians and the public respecting the availability of such drug for such disease or condition and inform physicians and the public respecting the availability of drugs approved under section 505(c) of such Act [

(6)

seek business entities and others to undertake the sponsorship of drugs for rare diseases or conditions, seek investigators to facilitate the development of such drugs, and seek business entities to participate in the distribution of such drugs, and

(7)

recognize the efforts of public and private entities and individuals in seeking the development of drugs for rare diseases or conditions and in developing such drugs.

(d)

Consultation

(e)

Annual report; contents

The Board shall submit to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives an annual report—

(1)

identifying the drugs which have been designated under section 526 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [21 U.S.C. 360bb] for a rare disease or condition,

(2)

describing the activities of the Board, and

(3)

containing the results of the evaluations carried out by the Board.

The Director of the National Institutes of Health shall submit to the Board for inclusion in the annual report a report on the rare disease and condition research activities of the Institutes of the National Institutes of Health; the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to the Board for inclusion in the annual report a report on the use of the credit against tax provided by section 44H 2

 See References in Text note below.

of title 26; and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Board for inclusion in the annual report a report on the program of assistance under section 360ee of title 21 for the development of drugs for rare diseases and conditions. Each annual report shall be submitted by June 1 of each year for the preceding calendar year.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, § 227, as added Pub. L. 97–414, § 3, Jan. 4, 1983, 96 Stat. 2051; amended Pub. L. 99–514, § 2, Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2095; Pub. L. 102–321, title I, § 163(b)(1), July 10, 1992, 106 Stat. 375; Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 312(d)(1), Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3504.)

cite as: 42 USC 236