BEIJING -- A Chinese medical research alliance has been set up to accelerate the study of rare diseases.

The Alliance for Rare Diseases is composed of more than 50 entities ranging from medical institutes, universities, academic institutions and companies.

The alliance is instrumental to concentrating resources and will boost the treatment of rare diseases in China, said Ma Xiaowei, head of China's National Health Commission.

At its launch on Wednesday, the alliance released its first explanatory catalog of China's rare diseases.