There's a wave of state-based reform sweeping the nation, and it's giving hope to thousands of terminally-ill patients. Since just 2014, 31 states have passed so-called "right to try" initiatives, which allow those with incurable and life-threatening illnesses to access potentially life-saving experimental treatments that have not yet been approved by the FDA. Leading this legislative cascade is Arizona's Goldwater Institute. They believe the Food and Drug Administration has been overly paternalistic in making what amounts to an incredibly difficult, yet personal decision, on behalf of all Americans. When early "Phase I" evidence shows a treatment's potential, physicians in Right to Try states are able to take the experimental treatments out of the laboratory in an attempt to save their patients. Christina Sandefur, executive Vice President of the Goldwater Institute, is a co-drafter of the Right to Try initiative and has been pivotal in getting these laws passed around the country. She joins Bob to make the case to the remaining 19 states – including California. 

Right to Try initiative (Goldwater Institute)

*Right to Try: How the Federal Government Prevents Patients from Getting Lifesaving Treatments* by Darcy Olsen (President of the Goldwater Institute)

Republican Party Adopts Platform Language to Help Terminally Ill Americans | Goldwater Institute

The Right to Try and the Future of the FDA in the Age of Personalized Medicine by Adam D. Thierer :: SSRN, July 2016 – Mercatus Center Working Paper