Right to Try Act of 2017

Right to Try Act of 2017

This bill requires the federal government to allow unrestricted manufacturing, distribution, prescribing, and dispensing of experimental drugs, biological products, and medical devices that are: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and (2) authorized by state law. The federal government must allow unrestricted possession and use of such treatments by patients certified by a physician as having exhausted all other treatment options.

A manufacturer, distributor, prescriber, dispenser, possessor, or user of such a treatment has no liability regarding the treatment.

The outcome of manufacture, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, possession, or use of such a treatment may not be used by a federal agency to adversely impact review or approval of the treatment.

The treatment must: (1) have successfully completed a phase 1 (initial, small scale) clinical trial; (2) remain under investigation in a clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and (3) not be approved, licensed, or cleared for sale under the Federal Food, Drug, or Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 878 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 878

    To authorize the use of unapproved medical products by patients 
diagnosed with a terminal illness in accordance with State law, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2017

Mr. Biggs (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Grothman, Mr. 
Messer, Mr. Pittenger, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Lance, Mr. Olson, Mr. Franks of 
Arizona, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Ms. McSally, Mr. Yoho, Mr. 
Rohrabacher, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Lewis of Minnesota, Mr. 
Barr, Mr. Bridenstine, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Banks of Indiana, Mr. Smucker, 
 Mr. Brat, Mr. Sensenbrenner, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Marino, Mr. Rokita, 
and Mr. Issa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize the use of unapproved medical products by patients 
diagnosed with a terminal illness in accordance with State law, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Right to Try Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. USE OF UNAPPROVED MEDICAL PRODUCTS BY PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH A 
              TERMINAL ILLNESS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 801 et seq.), and any other provision of Federal law, the 
Federal Government shall not take any action to prohibit or restrict--
            (1) the production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, 
        or dispensing of an experimental drug, biological product, or 
        device that--
                    (A) is intended to treat a patient who has been 
                diagnosed with a terminal illness; and
                    (B) is authorized by, and in accordance with, State 
                law; and
            (2) the possession or use of an experimental drug, 
        biological product, or device--
                    (A) that is described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) 
                of paragraph (1); and
                    (B) for which the patient has received a 
                certification from a physician, who is in good standing 
                with the physician's certifying organization or board, 
                that the patient has exhausted, or otherwise does not 
                meet qualifying criteria to receive, any other 
                available treatment options.
    (b) No Liability or Use of Outcomes.--
            (1) No liability.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, no liability shall lie against a producer, manufacturer, 
        distributor, prescriber, dispenser, possessor, or user of an 
        experimental drug, biological product, or device for the 
        production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, dispensing, 
        possession, or use of an experimental drug, biological product, 
        or device that is in compliance, with subsection (a).
            (2) No use of outcomes.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, the outcome of any production, manufacture, 
        distribution, prescribing, dispensing, possession, or use of an 
        experimental drug, biological product, or device that was done 
        in compliance with subsection (a) shall not be used by a 
        Federal agency reviewing the experimental drug, biological 
        product, or device to delay or otherwise adversely impact 
        review or approval of such experimental drug, biological 
        product, or device.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Biological product.--The term ``biological product'' 
        has the meaning given to such term in section 351 of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262).
            (2) Device; drug.--The terms ``device'' and ``drug'' have 
        the meanings given to such terms in section 201 of the Federal 
        Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).
            (3) Experimental drug, biological product, or device.--The 
        term ``experimental drug, biological product, or device'' 
        that--
                    (A) has successfully completed a phase 1 clinical 
                investigation;
                    (B) remains under investigation in a clinical trial 
                approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and
                    (C) is not approved, licensed, or cleared for 
                commercial distribution under section 505, 510(k), or 
                515 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
                U.S.C. 355, 360(k), 360(e)) or section 351 of the 
                Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262).
            (4) Phase 1 clinical investigation.--The term ``phase 1 
        clinical investigation'' means a phase 1 clinical 
        investigation, as described in section 312.21 of title 21, Code 
        of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations).
            (5) Terminal illness.--The term ``terminal illness'' has 
        the meaning given to such term in the State law specified in 
        subsection (a)(1)(B).
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