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House Passes Right to Try Bill for Terminally Ill

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March 22, 2018

The U.S. House on Wednesday night passed the Right to Try bill which would give terminally ill patients access to experimental drugs that are in clinical trials but not yet approved by the FDA.

The House passed HR 5257 by a vote of 267-149 and more than 30 Democrats voting with Republicans to pass the bill. It will now go before the Senate which passed a different version of the bill.

President Donald Trump has indicated his support of Right to Try and if it reaches his desk he is expected to sign it into law.

Vice President Mike Pence in a tweet on Thursday morning said, "House & Senate agree: Right-to-Try is a bipartisan PRIORITY. Will continue to work with Congress to get this important bill to @POTUS's desk."

Pence included a photo of Jordan McLinn, an Indiana boy suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who inspired Pence to sign Right to Try in Indiana when he was governor.

The vote was called a "win for patients" by Goldwater Institute President and CEO Victor Riches, the think-tank which crafted the Right to Try and has pushed for its passage on both the state and federal level.

"Millions of Americans who have been told they are out of options and it's time to get their affairs in order, are closer to having the opportunity for one last treatment, without having to get permission from the federal government first," said Riches in a prepared statement.

"Members of Congress put individual patients ahead of partisan politics and special interests and we're grateful for their support for this bipartisan, grassroots movement powered by real patients in all 50 states," said Riches.

Thirty-eight states since 2014 have enacted Right to Try legislation.