It is with great sadness we learnt of the passing of Dr Josep Torrent-Farnell on 1st December.

Dr Torrent-Farnell was the first director of the AEMPS-Spanish Medicines Agency, and chair of the EMA Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products for many years. He also worked directing the Innovative Medicines Sector of the EMA, and as director in the Medicines Area of Catsalut, Catalonia region among other innumerable roles. Beyond that, he was a very energetic person, enthusiast, bright, an advocate for rare diseases and a key pillar supporting and involving the patient community in different decision-making processes.

We had the honour of working with Dr Torrent-Farnell, considering our common interest in addressing the unmet needs of patients suffering from rare diseases and in enhancing research and innovation in the field of orphan medicines to make them readily available to patients.

Dr Torrent-Farnell was engaged in several research and training activities at Fondazione Gianni Benzi as member of the Scientific Committee for many years. Among them, he cooperated in the analysis of the orphan medicinal products that failed the developmental process in Europe, highlighting the well-known challenges in this setting (Giannuzzi V et al., 2017).

He did a lot for the rare disease community that can never forget him.

May he rest in peace.