The state-of-the-art of N-of-1 therapies and the IRDiRC N-of-1 development roadmap

Abstract

In recent years, a small number of people with rare diseases caused by unique genetic variants have been treated with therapies developed specifically for them. This pioneering field of genetic N-of-1 therapies is evolving rapidly, giving hope for the individualized treatment of people living with very rare diseases. In this Review, we outline the concept of N-of-1 individualized therapies, focusing on genetic therapies, and illustrate advances and challenges in the field using cases for which therapies have been successfully developed. We discuss why the traditional drug development and reimbursement pathway is not fit for purpose in this field, and outline the pragmatic, regulatory and ethical challenges this poses for future access to N-of-1 therapies. Finally, we provide a roadmap for N-of-1 individualized therapy development. A very small number of people with rare diseases caused by unique genetic variants have been treated with therapies developed specifically for them, known as N-of-1 therapies. This Review discusses advances and challenges for N-of-1 therapies based on cases in which they have been successfully developed, highlights why the traditional drug development and reimbursement pathway is not fit for purpose in this field, and provides a roadmap for the development of these individualized therapies.