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Judi Lynn

(160,530 posts) Tue May 22, 2018, 08:11 PM May 2018

Congress OKs letting terminal patients try unapproved drugs

Source: Associated Press

Congress OKs letting terminal patients try unapproved drugs
Supporters of the measure argued that people had a right to try experimental procedures, while critics said giving people access to untested drugs was dangerous.
by Associated Press / May.22.2018 / 6:57 PM ET

WASHINGTON — A bill helping people with deadly diseases try experimental treatments sailed through Congress on Tuesday, a victory for President Donald Trump and foes of regulation and a defeat for patients' groups and Democrats who argued that the measure was dangerous and dangled false hope.

After an emotional debate, the House gave the legislation final congressional approval by a largely party-line vote of 250-169, nine months after it passed the Senate.

Republicans argued that the measure would help hundreds of thousands of people, patients "desperately seeking a beacon of hope," said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore.

"Why do you not want to allow these patients to exercise their right to fight for their future?" Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, who chairs that panel's health subcommittee, asked Democrats.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/congress-oks-letting-terminal-patients-try-unapproved-drugs-n876606

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Congress OKs letting terminal patients try unapproved drugs (Original Post) Judi Lynn May 2018 OP

Great. "Right to drain your bank account." Archae May 2018 #1

But it's genuine cartilage from laetrile-fed sharks with coffee enemas! jberryhill May 2018 #3

Let a thousand quacks take flight! jberryhill May 2018 #2

False hope with untested treatments is a random experiment with no controls bucolic_frolic May 2018 #4

For the republicans, it's the best way to kill people. Turbineguy May 2018 #5

If I was dying from a disease that had no known cure - hell yah packman May 2018 #6

Now the drug companies can throw random drugs at people without consequences. Lucky Luciano May 2018 #7

packman understand been there with wife and agree. would help if idea came from onologist dembotoz May 2018 #9

Lets get this straight. Repukes are against women's health care truthisfreedom May 2018 #8

Seems to be a very sadistic, sexually repressed, and dim-witted party, doesn't it? dixiegrrrrl May 2018 #10

Human guinea pigs. honest.abe May 2018 #11

Archae

(46,327 posts)

1. Great. "Right to drain your bank account."

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 22, 2018, 08:15 PM

May 2018

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

3. But it's genuine cartilage from laetrile-fed sharks with coffee enemas!

Reply to Archae (Reply #1)

Tue May 22, 2018, 08:18 PM

May 2018

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

2. Let a thousand quacks take flight!

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 22, 2018, 08:17 PM

May 2018

If terminal patients want to try unapproved treatments, that's certainly up to them.

The people selling them such things are another matter.

bucolic_frolic

(43,161 posts)

4. False hope with untested treatments is a random experiment with no controls

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 22, 2018, 08:19 PM

May 2018

I'm all for alternative medicine. Doctors don't always have it all figured out. But fighting and hope are not medicine. This will lead to quackery and dead patients, some of them sooner or with poorer outcomes than placebos or mainstream treatments.

Turbineguy

(37,331 posts)

5. For the republicans, it's the best way to kill people.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 22, 2018, 08:25 PM

May 2018

Encourage them to kill themselves.

Besides, if you get sick it's because God hates you. Neener, neener. So there.

packman

(16,296 posts)

6. If I was dying from a disease that had no known cure - hell yah

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Tue May 22, 2018, 09:54 PM

May 2018

I would let them try it. Can't understand the opposition to such an approach. If I was deemed terminal and there was the slightest chance a drug would save me and possibly save others, I would welcome it.

Lucky Luciano

(11,256 posts)

7. Now the drug companies can throw random drugs at people without consequences.

Reply to packman (Reply #6)

Tue May 22, 2018, 10:36 PM

May 2018

As it stands, it is better when big exceptions are needed because then the standard is still high.

dembotoz

(16,804 posts)

9. packman understand been there with wife and agree. would help if idea came from onologist

Reply to packman (Reply #6)

Wed May 23, 2018, 07:09 AM

May 2018

and not national inquirer

truthisfreedom

(23,147 posts)

8. Lets get this straight. Repukes are against women's health care

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed May 23, 2018, 01:56 AM

May 2018

And reproductive rights. They support right to life for the unborn but not the living, support expensive experimental drugs for the desperate and dying, but not the right to die for those dying in unbearable pain.

What a bunch of bizarre ideas.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

10. Seems to be a very sadistic, sexually repressed, and dim-witted party, doesn't it?

Reply to truthisfreedom (Reply #8)

Wed May 23, 2018, 06:13 PM

May 2018

Also venal as all hell.

honest.abe

(8,678 posts)

11. Human guinea pigs.

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed May 23, 2018, 06:19 PM

May 2018

What could possibly go wrong??

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