Some say it could be a model for solving the many other outstanding issues between the quarrelsome Sudanese.

ECONOMIST: A ruling from The Hague pleases the north and vexes the south

Analysts estimate that the disease could represent many hundreds of millions of dollars a year in sales for Alexion, which underscores the model that the company leverages: There are big profits in solving extremely rare disorders.

FORBES: How A $440,000 Drug Is Turning Alexion Into Biotech's New Innovation Powerhouse