The Iowa Senate has unanimously approved a bill designed to accelerate the access terminally ill Iowans have to medications being tested in federally-approved drug trials. Republican Senator Rick Bertrand sponsored the bill after Todd Oss — a Sioux City native who’s been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease — told Bertrand this so-called “right to try” legislation was being considered in other states.
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Terminally ill Americans can seek a “compassionate care” waiver from the federal government to try medications that have gotten initial approval for clinical trials, but aren’t yet available by prescription. That process, however, requires a lot of paperwork and a lot of time. Senator Jeff Danielson, a Democrat from Cedar Falls, says this bill would speed access not only to medications, but to devices being tested as treatment for incurable illnesses like Huntington’s disease, A-L-S, and advanced forms of cancer.
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The “right to try” bill must clear the Iowa House and be approved by the governor before the policy would become state law.