Americans shouldn’t have to go to Europe to get treatment that the FDA hasn’t yet approved.
‘Right to try’ legislation heads to the White House
The House on Tuesday passed “right to try” legislation that would allow people with life-threatening illnesses to bypass the Food and Drug Administration to obtain experimental medications, ending a drawn-out battle over access to unapproved therapies.
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People with life-threatening illnesses may eventually see improved access to experimental drugs at an earlier stage of the federal approval process, thanks to a bill that passed the House today.
By a vote of 250-169, the House passed federal “Right to Try” legislation, pushed by the Arizona-based libertarian Goldwater Foundation. This bill allows patients with what the government classifies as a “life-threatening” illness or condition to get access to drugs that have completed the first stage of clinical trial but are not yet fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Most states have such laws on the books, but the federal government itself has lagged behind them in giving citizens permission to try experimental medication sooner if they’re dying.
It seems like it would be slam dunk to let people decide for themselves whether to take such risks when they’ve got nothing left to lose, but there are still legislators and experts who seem to think that this is going to result in dire consequences.
Congress Approves ‘Right to Try’ Bill for Critically Ill
People with life-threatening illnesses may eventually see improved access to experimental drugs at an earlier stage of the federal approval process, thanks to a bill that passed the House today. By a vote of 250-169, the House passed federal “Right to Try” legislation, pushed by the Arizona-based libertarian Goldwater Foundation.