Today, President Trump signed into law the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017 (Right to Try Act). This allows terminally ill patients to try and test medications that have yet to be approved by the FDA.
The FDA said in a statement: For patients with serious or immediately life-threatening diseases, the FDA remains committed to enhancing access to promising investigational medicines for those unable to access products through clinical trials.
"We've taken many steps to improve our process through which patients can access promising investigational drugs. We understand that treatment decisions for those facing terminal illnesses are best made by patients and families, with the support of their treating physicians. When appropriate, those suffering from a terminal illness who've exhausted available options should be able to access promising treatments being studied in clinical trials, or products under active review by the FDA," the FDA stated.
They added: This new law amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a new pathway aimed at increasing access to unapproved, investigational treatments for patients diagnosed with life-threatening diseases or conditions who have exhausted approved treatment options and who are unable to participate in a clinical trial.
Our implementation of the Right to Try Act will build on our long-standing efforts to help patients and families who are facing life-threatening diseases or conditions, in a way that seeks to protect their autonomy, their safety, and the safety of others following in their paths.
“We will be saving — I don’t even want to say thousands because I think it’s going to be much more — thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands, we’re going to be saving tremendous numbers of lives," President Trump said.
“There were no options, and now you have hope," the President added.
