Muscular Dystrophy Patient and Family Find Hope with "Right to Try Act"

There are reasons that state governors and legislatures in both parties have supported the bill. For instance, a Republican-controlled House in Minnesota passed the measure unanimously and was signed by a Democratic governor. Both the legislatures and governors found common ground and removed the barrier that denied hope to many. The FDA had to respond to pressure last year and streamlined the process for expanded access program. The expanded access allows people to use unapproved treatments within some guidelines.

Critics said that the right-to-try legislation passed gives false hope to those who are desperate. They argue that the bill doesn’t guarantee equal access to every patient and that there was a chance that it could harm patients and end up not helping them. Critics fear that these laws could weaken the control that the FDA had over medical treatment standards. They also fear that the law won’t contribute to general understanding of drugs in medical science since manufacturers will be protected from formally reporting results.