Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday met with families advocating for "right to try" legislation, which would make it easier for terminally ill patients to gain access to experimental medications not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, reports The Wall Street Journal.
During the visit, Vice President Pence told families he and Mr. Trump supported the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and would prevent the government from denying experimental treatments to patients.
While the FDA already has a compassionate use program that allows terminal patients access to experimental medications, proponents of the new bill say there are currently too many hurdles for those seeking access to the drugs, according to the report.
The FDA authorized more than 99 percent of requests for access to experimental treatments between 2010 and 2015, according to Peter Lurie, an associate commissioner at the agency. In 2015, the FDA received more than 1,200 compassionate use requests and approved all but 10, reports WSJ.
Opponents of the legislation argue it could undermine patient safety and note drug companies are often unwilling to provide the experimental treatments to patients.
More articles on supply chain:
GHX names 50 best healthcare supply chains in North America
Moody's: Pharma, medical device companies to continue strong M&A in 2017
Why UPS drivers don't turn left