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STAT+: Mark Cuban wants to crack open the market for rare disease treatments

By · Via STAT Health · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, has tested a shipment of DNA-like molecules developed by California and Dutch researchers in his company Cost Plus Drugs. This move represents a shift from traditional generic drug production to a focus on rare disease treatments, aiming to help patients in unfortunate situations. The initiative could potentially provide cost-effective alternatives to expensive treatments, highlighting the evolving market for rare disease treatments.

Key points

  • Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, has tested a shipment of DNA-like molecules developed…: Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, has tested a shipment of DNA-like molecules developed by California and Dutch researchers in his company Cost Plus Drugs.
  • This move represents a shift from traditional generic drug production to a focus on rare…: This move represents a shift from traditional generic drug production to a focus on rare disease treatments.
  • The initiative aims to help patients in unfortunate situations.: The initiative aims to help patients in unfortunate situations.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Billionaire Mark Cuban has spent the last five years trying to make generic drugs like chemotherapy and antifungal ointment cheaper for Americans. But earlier this year, a very different type of medicine began arriving at his Dallas factory.

One shipment contained DNA-like molecules crafted by California chemists to patch the rare genetic mutation destroying a single patient’s neurons. Another carried DNA-like molecules developed with Dutch researchers to stop a rare disease that causes adults to progressively lose control of their muscles.

They are the first test of Cuban’s newest vision for his company Cost Plus Drugs: shake up the business of custom-made rare disease medicines. “It was an obvious chance for us to help those in that unfortunate situation,” he wrote in an email.

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Original source: www.statnews.com

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