Yesterday evening, NORD joined 82 patient and provider organizations in sending a letter to the House of Representatives stating our opposition to the newest version of the Right to Try Act that was released on Saturday and is scheduled for a vote today.
While this version contains considerable improvements to patient safety compared to prior versions, it will still create an unnecessary and less-safe alternative pathway that would only generate confusion and false hope.
We support all patients with serious and life-threatening diseases gaining access to potentially life-saving treatments, but the Right to Try Act simply will not accomplish this goal.
Consequently, we remain in opposition to this legislation and are extremely grateful to all those organizations that joined us and lent their voice.
We will continue to make our voices heard as Congress considers the Right to Try Act. Please stay tuned for further updates.
To view or share the letter, please click here.
Why is Right to Try Bad for Patients?
Access to investigational therapies is already permitted through the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) expanded access program. FDA currently approves 99.7% of all expanded access requests submitted by physicians and companies for patients with immediately life-threatening illnesses who cannot participate in clinical trials. Removing FDA from the process of obtaining investigational drugs, as Right to Try proposes, increases the risk of patient harm and creates confusion.
When access to a drug is denied, it is almost always because the company has denied the request.