Letter: Patient Safety Concerns Remain in House Right to Try Legislation

WASHINGTON – March 12, 2018 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network together with more than 75 organizations representing millions of patients sent a letter to leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives tonight, expressing concerns about proposed legislation to change the process for accessing experimental drugs without including necessary patient safeguards.

A statement from ACS CAN President Chris Hansen follows:

“While the proposed House legislation has included changes meant to address some of the safety concerns our community has raised with previous legislation, ACS CAN remains concerned that the bill would remove FDA from the important role that it plays in ensuring the safe use of experimental drugs.

“The FDA would not have the opportunity, as they currently do, to provide consultation on dosing, route of administration, dosing schedule and other important safety measures which they are uniquely positioned to understand. 

“In its current draft, ACS CAN cannot support the bill and on behalf of patients we are urging Congress to address these critical safety concerns before finalizing legislation.”

For a link to the patient letter, visit this link.