During the visit, Vice President Pence told families he and Mr. Trump supported the bill, which is sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and would prevent the government from denying experimental treatments to patients.
While the FDA already has a compassionate use program that allows terminal patients access to experimental medications, proponents of the new bill say there are currently too many hurdles for those seeking access to the drugs, according to the report.
The FDA authorized more than 99 percent of requests for access to experimental treatments between 2010 and 2015, according to Peter Lurie, an associate commissioner at the agency. In 2015, the FDA received more than 1,200 compassionate use requests and approved all but 10, reports WSJ.
Opponents of the legislation argue it could undermine patient safety and note drug companies are often unwilling to provide the experimental treatments to patients.
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