Resveratrol Granted Orphan Drug Status

On April 2nd, FDA granted orphan drug status to resveratrol for the treatment of MELAS Syndrome, which is a progressive and fatal disease. Resveratrol has been a subject of interest in the dietary supplement industry and has been the subject of several NDI (New Dietary Ingredient) applications, with mixed results. This development continues to suggest that components within dietary ingredients such as resveratrol will continue to be subjects of interest for drug development. Orphan drug status may be a particularly interesting avenue for some of these substances. Although achieving such status is regarded as difficult, it can be very profitable in the end.

—Loren Israelsen, LDI Group, 4/5/08