2. THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Lucy McKay, one of five medical students who
founded the Barts and The London Society for Rare
Diseases in 2011, explains:
“At medical school we are taught about the
common things because they are what we are most
likely to see. The mantra is ‘common things are
common’.
3. RARE DISEASES EXIST!
Rare diseases exist as well and if you don’t learn to think outside the
box you’ll never consider them in your diagnoses”
“Around fifty per cent of medical students will become GPs and, as the
initial point of call in our healthcare system, it is vital that they are able
to recognise the signs of rare diseases so that they can ensure the
patient receives the necessary care and correct referrals.”
http://www.rarediseases.co.uk/research/training-a-future-generation-of-doctors-to-diagnose-rare-
diseases#.Vd2ZU0GFO1s
4. The Team
A huge thank you to the many volunteers who greatly contributed.
Tim Guilliams
Founding Director
Jelena Aleksic
Founding Director
Kay Parkinson
CEO
Jo Balfour
Conference Director
Abbi Signs
Founding Member
Flóra Raffai
Founding Member
Tamzin Byrne
Founding Member
Richard Smith
Founding Member
Narissa Gipp
Founding Member
Alan Barrell
Founding Trustee
Nick Sireau
Founding Trustee
Alastair Kent
Founding Trustee
5. REALITY FOR MANY RARE DISEASES
Undiagnosed “Dis-abled”
Finding out who knows?
Medical Systems-Highly specialised
Divide up diseases
No overview, little information
Few treatments
Patients become pilots of their disease
6. RARE DISEASES – THIRD SECTOR
Third sector organisations have led the way.
Genetic Alliance, Rare Disease UK,
Findacure,
EU wide EURORDIS
Technology-informed patients
Value patient groups-critical mass
Patients as partners in medicine
Patients and industry?
7. CRDN INITIATIVES
Organising dynamic multi-disciplinary events.
Forming a community of active stakeholders in
rare disease research.
Building on Cambridge’s strength in biotech
and research.
Develop new opportunities for patient/industry
collaborations.
8. A network of Change Champions –Accelerating
Change
Harnessing multi-disciplinary skills from all sectors.
Raising awareness of novel training needs.
Faster drug development routes?
Developing pathways to reach “unheard of” diseases
Rare Disease patients – time challenged.
Their clock is ticking faster..................
CRDN HELPING TO FIND THE WAY
9. WHATCAN/ SHOULD INDUSTRY DO?
Take Home thoughts!
Be involved sooner with rare disease patient groups?
How?
Registries?-need to be independent of one doctor who often takes
“ownership”, preventing movement and development.
Ensure equal representation on med/sci committees of patients /carers
who may wish to take greater risks when conditions are life limiting.
“Intervene” help to change the natural history of the disease- impacts
may benefit many conditions especially if the rare disease affects
multiple organs.
Hospitals should not be the natural home for rare diseases
Rare diseases need scientific research in multi disciplinary rare
disease centres.
ADOPT an ORPHAN!