Imagine discovering that a life-saving treatment for your rare condition exists — but you can’t get it because it’s not available or affordable in your country. That’s the reality for countless families around the world.
In this global episode of Rare Connection, host Joanna Ball sits down with Aayush Goyal, founder of MedsPartner, a platform that helps patients legally access medications from other countries through the named patient import pathway.
We cover:
🔹 The rare disease drug access crisis across borders
🔹 How MedsPartner helps navigate regulatory challenges
🔹 The hidden legal system most doctors and patients don’t know about
🔹 Real stories of families who found hope when doors seemed closed
🔹 How advocates can spread the word about this life-saving option
🌍 Learn more about MedsPartner: https://www.medspartner.com
📝 Contact: connect@medspartner.com
📲 Follow: @medspartner on social media
🎙️ Listen to Rare Connection on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music & more
🎥 Watch more episodes here on the Rare Chef YouTube channel
🧡 Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee
⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions about treatment barriers, health inequity, and medical frustration.
🆘 If you are in crisis or need emotional support:
📞 Call or text 988 in the U.S.
📱 Or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line
You are not alone.
#RareDisease #GlobalHealth #MedsPartner #DrugAccess #NamedPatient #JoannaBall #RareConnectionPodcast
Chapter Markers
00:00 intro
01:57 What inspired Ayush to create Meds Partner?
04:21 How big is the drug access problem globally?
08:53 What conditions most people reach out about?
10:30 What is Named Patient Importation and how does it work?
14:39 Problems with doctors not knowing about the program
17:11 Risks and Misunderstandings
2048 Is a doctor allowed to prescribe a med that isn't available in their country?
22:01 Examples of impact on rare disease families
24:55 Which countries are the most challenging and which are getting it right?
26:26 biggest opportunities for policy change
29:25 Raising awareness for this access option
32:02 Hopes in terms of collaboration & support
34:03 current projects
35:17 Conclusion
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com