Corey Robinson ’14 (Pharm.D./MBA) is making a difference. And, on Rare Disease Day on February 28, he will feel especially connected to the people he helps, because at least one of them will say ‘thank you’ in person.

As Senior Product Manager in Global Rare Diseases for the biopharmaceutical company Sanofi Genzyme, based in Cambridge, Mass., his work involves raising awareness of a variety of rare disorders caused by enzyme deficiencies, and helping to improve patients’ access to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care business unit of Sanofi, has a long history in rare diseases. Among these are Fabry, Gaucher, Pompe, and Mucopolysaccharidosis 1 diseases. Individuals suffering from these conditions may fail to thrive physically, have developmental delays, have compromised internal organs, and experience painful bones or joints, as well as other life-altering symptoms.

For Robinson, his journey to the forefront of pharmaceutical science began typically. As a high school student in Brandon, Vermont, he liked the sciences and he learned that the job prospects for pharmacy graduates was promising. He applied to UConn’s pre-pharmacy program, in part, because the University’s size offered flexibility among programs, just in case pharmacy didn’t work out. And, as a three-sport athlete in high school – where he competed in basketball, football, and lacrosse – he was looking for a place with high caliber athletic teams to root for.

Pharmacy worked out just fine, so fast forward to his second, or P2, professional year. That’s when he began to see the value of also obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree in order to broaden his career possibilities.

“I loved the pharmacy program,” he says, “but I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to follow. I figured that getting an MBA would suit me whether I went into community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy. It would provide a lot more options.”

As it turns out, the summer after he completed a full year in the Business School, he took part in an internship at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Wallingford, Conn. This opened his eyes to yet another possibility – a career in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The biopharmaceutical company Sanofi Genzyme offered him a place in the company’s two-year post Pharm.D. fellowship program in the area of Global Medical Affairs, Rare Diseases. This resulted in the offer of a permanent position in the rare disease franchise where the company focuses on uncommon and underserved medical conditions.

In the United States, a rare disease is defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people. In the European Union, a disease is defined as rare when it affects fewer than 1 in 2,000 people. It is estimated that, collectively, 7,000 different diseases fall into the ‘rare’ category, and that worldwide one in ten people suffer from one of them.

“Once I was exposed to this area because of my fellowship, I knew I was where I wanted to be,” Robinson says. “Working with rare, often-overlooked conditions offers me a unique ability to play a part in helping improve peoples’ lives.” He further explains that while working in the pharmaceutical industry generally means having few face-to-face interactions with patients, his specialty area gives him a real feeling of connection with people helped by the therapies developed by Sanofi Genzyme.

He especially feels this connection at the yearly observance of Rare Disease Day that takes place on the last day of February each year. February 28, 2019 marks the 12th year of the observance, coordinated by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), an NGO alliance of patient organizations and individuals promoting research on rare diseases.

“We will have an observance at our office in Cambridge and in the Boston Common with the capitol building serving as a backdrop. We will be joined by patients and other members of the rare disease community who will speak to their experience with a rare disease,” Robinson says.

“These are the people who provide meaning to my career. I may not be making a difference to a lot of people, but I know I’m making a significant difference in the lives of a few people, and that’s what continues to inspire me.”

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the article belong solely to Corey Robinson, and are not on behalf of his employer or any other group or individual.