The Right to Try - How the Federal Government Prevents Americans from Getting the Life-Saving Treatments They Need - E-book - ePub

Why should you need the government's permission to save your own life?Jenn McNary's two sons, Max and Austin, were diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy-a fatal disorder that leads to muscle degeneration and eventually death. In a cruel and unnecessary twist, Max received access to a clinical trial; Austin didn't. As a result, Max was able to get out of his wheelchair and play on his school soccer team while Austin continued to deteriorate until he could not even feed himself.
The FDA takes as long as fifteen years to approve a new drug, demanding near-absolute proof of effectiveness before allowing commercial distribution. But this ignores the urgent plight of millions of terminally ill Americans who have run out of approved options-and are running out of time. These patients are not looking for a 100 percent guarantee that a treatment will work for them. They are looking for a fighting chance.
Why can't they have that chance? Why don't they have the right to try .