Global Access to <scp>IMD</scp> Drugs: Bridging the Gap Between High‐Income Countries and Latin America
People living with inborn errors of metabolism (inherited metabolic diseases, IMDs) rely on lifesaving orphan drugs-therapies often developed and available primarily in high-income countries. Yet in many low- and middle-income regions, especially Latin America, patients face stark inequities in access. While an estimated 300 million people worldwide live with a rare disease, most Latin American countries until recently had little to no rare disease policy infrastructure [1]. This perspective highlights the disparity in IMD drug access between wealthy nations and Latin America (with Chile as a case in point), examines the ethical imperatives for equitable and timely access, and explores barriers and potential policy solutions to ensure no patient is left behind.
Authors
- Rodrigo Salinas
- Juan Francisco Cabello
Institutions
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile (CL)
- Instituto de Nutricion e Higiene de los Alimentos (CU)
- University of Chile (CL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/jimd.70152
- Primary Topic
- Genomics and Rare Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00