A bill that would ease access to potentially life-saving medications for terminally ill patients passed the Indiana Senate last week and is now on its way to the governor’s desk for his consideration.
House Bill 1065 would allow terminally ill patients to bypass the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) compassionate use application for experimental medicine when there are no other treatment options available and they have a recommendation from their doctor.
This would allow patients diagnosed with a terminal illness to receive pharmaceuticals which have passed the first phase of the FDA’s approval process. Currently, patients must wait a minimum of two to four months to receive approval on an FDA application for expanded access.
State Senator Randy Head said, “This legislation gives hope to Hoosiers suffering from a terminal diagnosis and may add invaluable time to a patient’s life. These policies, commonly referred to as “right to try,” have already been adopted in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan and Missouri.”
