HARTFORD — Connecticut lawmakers are considering legislation allowing certain terminally ill patients to possibly access medications that haven’t been approved for general use by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
The Public Health Committee is scheduled to vote Monday on the bill, which already cleared the Insurance and Real Estate Committee.
The legislation would apply to investigational drugs, biological products or devices that completed the first phase of a FDA-approved clinical trial and are still part of the trial. Patients would have to meet certain criteria.
Democratic Senate President Martin Looney said other states have passed such “right to try” laws after federal courts ruled terminally ill patients don’t have the right to try experimental treatment.
A similar bill already passed the Public Health Committee and awaits action in the Judiciary Committee.
