Washington Examiner: "Save lives with the 'right to try'"

March 26, 2018

The Washington Examiner called on Congress to make Right to Try the law of the land in an op-ed published over the weekend:

The right-to-try legislation, if signed into law, will allow terminally ill patients to seek drug treatments that have passed phase one of the FDA’s approval process, but have not yet received full approval.

Terminally ill patients are not a big or vocal political constituency, but their vulnerability makes them worth listening to. Giving them the right to try experimental treatments won’t transform the healthcare sector radically, but it will stop the government obstructing those who want to take a chance to live a little longer…

Right to try won’t save everyone who takes advantage of it, but if a treatment has passed basic safety testing and terminally ill patients understand the risks, the government shouldn’t stop them trying to save their own lives.

Jim Burhorn was 59 when he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. His doctors recommended a certain treatment, but Burhorn might only have been able to get it in Switzerland, because the FDA hadn’t given it final approval. But, thanks to Colorado’s right-to-try law, Burhorn was treated in America. Other patients across the country should be able to do the same.

Last week, the Goldwater Institute applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for joining the U.S. Senate in passing Right to Try. Goldwater Institute president Victor Riches says that the Institute is working hard to ensure that Right to Try becomes law.

Our grassroots, bipartisan coalition has been working tirelessly since 2013 to build support for healthcare freedom. As a result, 38 states protect your Right to Try under state law.

Now, we will work with Right to Try allies and members of Congress from both parties to reach final approval of legislation that can be sent to the president to sign into federal law.

You can read the Washington Examiner’s full editorial here.