Bill
HB 2908
84(R) - 2015
House Public Health
House Public Health
Health & Human Services
Life
Vote Recommendation
Yes
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Positive
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Positive
Author(s)
Tan Parker
Bill Caption
Relating to authorizing patients with certain terminal illnesses or severe chronic diseases to access certain investigational drugs, biological products, and devices that are in clinical trials.
Fiscal Notes
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Bill Analysis
The bill would authorize terminally ill patients or patients
with severe chronic diseases, who have exhausted all viable treatment options,
to access experimental drugs that have not yet been approved by the United
States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill specifically refers to
drugs that have passed the first phase (safety phase) but have not passed the
second phase (efficacy test) of the FDA drug approval process.
The executive commissioner would be required to adopt rules
specifying treatments patients could access. The executive commissioner would
have the authorization to approve for treatment experimental drugs that have
completed or are in the appropriate phase of a clinical trial in another
country.
The bill would specifically exclude the use of
cannabis to treat patients with terminal illnesses or severe chronic diseases. The
bill would allow a manufacturer to charge a patient a fee; and it would
authorize, not mandate, a health benefit plan to provide coverage for the cost
of an experimental drug.
Vote Recommendation Notes
The purpose of this legislation is to authorize a terminally ill patient or patient with a severe chronic disease to access investigational drugs that could potentially prolong a patient's life. Curbing the FDA's lengthy drug approval process for people who have no alternatives promotes limited government and empowers a terminally ill patient's individual liberty. We support HB 2908.