Goldwater Institute Responds to FDA Statement on Right to Try

November 8, 2018

Phoenix—The Goldwater Institute has issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s statement on Right to Try:

“Today, the FDA has acknowledged that Congress’ intent in passing the federal Right to Try legislation is to protect patient autonomy and safety. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has previously expressed the FDA’s readiness to implement the legislation according to this intent, and we celebrate the fact that patients with life-threatening illnesses have another avenue to access to the treatments they need to try to save their own lives.

“The patients and advocates who have driven the Right to Try movement have helped change the way we think and talk about patients’ rights. Their grassroots efforts have shined a light on current FDA processes and led to the landmark federal Right to Try legislation, and thanks to this law, power is now in patients’ hands to make autonomous decisions regarding their care. The steps to implement the legislation would be minimal, given that the law requires reporting to the FDA.”

“Right to Try has always been about working in tandem with current FDA processes. It is not a replacement for existing avenues of offering access to investigational treatments, but rather a needed pathway to give terminally ill patients access to investigational treatments. We encourage patients seeking more information about Right to Try to visit our FAQ about the federal law.”

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About the Goldwater Institute

The Goldwater Institute drives results by working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and strengthen the freedom guaranteed to all Americans in the constitutions of the United States and all 50 states. With the blessing of its namesake, the Goldwater Institute opened in 1988. Its early years focused on defending liberty in Barry Goldwater’s home state of Arizona. Today, the Goldwater Institute is a national leader for constitutionally limited government respected by the left and right for its adherence to principle and real-world impact. No less a liberal icon than the New York Times calls the Goldwater Institute a “watchdog for conservative ideals” that plays an “outsize role” in American political life.