Drugs of Limited Commercial Value

In the April 20, 1978 issue of the Journal, Dr. Melvin H. Van Woert described the problem resulting from inadequate attention in our society to the discovery, development, and distribution of drugs that would be of major benefit to persons with serious but uncommon diseases — drugs that are not made available because of their limited applicability and limited commercial value.At the time of Dr. Van Woert's article an Interagency Task Force on Significant Drugs of Limited Commercial Value was engaged in fact-finding and deliberations. This Task Force was initiated by persons in the Food and Drug Administration . . .