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U.S. House passes ‘right to try’ legislation

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Legislation that would allow terminally ill patients to get access to experimental drugs is headed to President Donald Trump, who has pledged to sign it, Iowa Public Radio reported. The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the “right-to-try” bill that was approved by the Senate in 2017. “People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to find a cure,” Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said on the House floor Tuesday. Some patient advocates opposed the bill, however, saying it could do more harm than good by giving patients access to drugs that may, in the end, shorten their lives. In May 2017, Iowa joined 39 other states in enacting “right to try” legislation, Senate File 404. Under the federal legislation, patients would still need approval from a doctor and the pharmaceutical company to be able to use the unapproved medications. Drug companies aren’t obligated to provide them.