Number of orphan designations accepted in the United States 2003-2017

The data shows the number of accepted orphan designations per year in the U.S. from 2003 to 2017. In 2008, there were 165 orphan designations accepted in the country. Orphan drugs are used to target rare diseases or disorders, which in the U.S. is defined as less than 200,000 patients. The development of orphan drugs are currently incentivized in the U.S. through the Orphan Drug Act of 1983.