Germany publishes rare diseases action plan

Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will provide up to EUR 27 million ($36.1 million) through 2018 to fund national and European research on disease mechanisms and genetic causes as well as diagnostics and therapeutic procedures for rare diseases. The details came in an action plan introduced by the German government that is aimed at speeding diagnosis and improving treatments for patients with rare diseases. Other measures in the action plan include establishing an online rare disease information portal for patients and caregivers, and creating specialized centers that bundle expertise and support research. ...