Our unique institutional set-up

The RDAF is a multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit association established in Switzerland. The RDAF brings together actors in the field of rare diseases representing the industry, healthcare professionals, patient and research organizations. Our members are united by the common goal to improve access to the diagnosis, treatment and care for people living with rare diseases through dialogue with key stakeholders.

Thanks to its unique institutional set-up, the RDAF provides a reliable and neutral platform to foster dialogue and define common solutions for action. Bringing together stakeholders is key to identifying the main challenges for access to diagnosis, treatment and care for patients with rare diseases, defining actions to tackle those barriers and conveying our message in an efficient manner.

Our governance

Our history

The RDAF was initiated by orphan drug companies in 2015 to serve as a neutral platform to engage stakeholders in the field of rare diseases. The association was founded in 2016 and its membership opened to non-industry actors the following year. In 2019, the RDAF created its first working group “Patient access and value assessment for orphan drugs” to support its work in this area. Today, the RDAF consists of members representing patient organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare and research organizations and physicians.