Week in Review: Landmark News for Americans' Healthcare Rights

January 12, 2019

In landmark news for Americans’ healthcare rights, a California patient with an aggressive form of brain cancer is being treated with an investigational vaccine currently in Phase 2 clinical trials under the Right to Try law.

Daniela Bota, M.D., Ph.D., of University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, explained why the law is so critical for patients in need of treatment. “The Right to Try laws may be the only alternative for many patients who may not qualify for clinical trials based on a variety of factors, including progression of disease, comorbidities, existing medications, physical limitations and others,” she said.

Goldwater Institute President and CEO Victor Riches also commented on the news:

“Thanks to the leadership of Americans who supported Right to Try laws across the country and at the federal level, patients who are battling a terminal illness are now able to pursue potentially lifesaving treatments that would not otherwise be available to them. The news that a brain cancer patient who had run out of options may now have hope thanks to Right to Try is why these advocates worked so tirelessly to make this law a reality.”

Read more about the story here.

FDA Bureaucrats Are Hurting Patients—But Times May Be Changing

Fear and overcaution at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are literally killing people.

FDA regulators fear that they might miss something and approve a drug that has unseen side effects. If that happens, they will be hauled in front of Congress and pilloried in the media. So in their quest for absolute certainty, FDA bureaucrats demand more studies, more tests and more time.

As a result, new and beneficial treatments for conditions ranging from heart disease and cancer to Alzheimer’s and diabetes are not getting to doctors and patients.

Read more from Goldwater Institute national investigative reporter Mark Flatten in The Daily Caller.

Government Can’t Play Campaign-Finance Favorites

In politics, Illinois has long been infamous for corruption, patronage, and elections that seem rigged to keep longtime political bosses and their friends in power.

One way Illinois rigs the political game, and lives down to its bad reputation, is through its campaign finance rules.

In 2009, after former Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office for trying to sell official favors, many called for reforms to make sure that sort of thing wouldn’t happen again. But the “reform” the state soon enacted didn’t eliminate opportunities for corruption; it increased them.

Goldwater Institute senior attorney Jacob Huebert describes the problem and what can be done about it on the In Defense of Liberty blog.