Right to Try Bill

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
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Colorado becomes first state to approve bill giving terminally ill access to experimental medication




Colorado became the first state to allow terminally ill patients to have access to experimental medicine not yet approved by the FDA Saturday.



Gov. John Hickenlooper signed the so-called 'right to try' bill into law in Fort Collins. The bill's co-sponsor, Democratic State Rep. Joann Ginall, was absent from the signing ceremony in order to tend to her older brother Tom, who is suffering from a rare blood cancer.
"Thank you to everyone for passing this bill, which may bring hope to people like Tom when all else failed," Ginal said in a statement read by State Rep. Randy Fischer at the ceremony. "The types of treatments envisioned in this bill gave my brother more time and hopefully will do the same for others."


The bill allows patients and doctors to work together to secure experimental treatments with the permission of a pharmaceutical company. Insurance companies are not required to pay for the treatment, and drug manufacturers can choose whether to charge for the medication or to provide it to the patient free of charge.



Lawmakers in Missouri and Louisiana have passed similar bills unanimously in recent days, while voters in Arizona will weigh that state's version of the law at the polling place this November.


Supporters of the bills say that they would help patients who are desperate for treatment avoid the lengthy process of getting the FDA to approve access to experimental drugs. Opponents say that the legislation circumvents federal law and undermines the drug development process.


Colorado becomes first state to approve bill giving terminally ill access to experimental medication | Fox News


impressive!
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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What is the likelihood that 'experimental medicine' would cause further harm down the road?
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
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What is the likelihood that 'experimental medicine' would cause further harm down the road?

Further harm compared to what? Being Dead sooner?

Seems like a good idea to me. It's basically human experimentation and a source of human experimentation that pharmaceutical companies can use as free research on their end.... but on a more or less volunteer basis by the patients.

If they have nothing else to lose and have no other options to their disposal, if they choose to do this, I see no harm.