Trump Signs 'Right To Try' Bill To Help Terminally Ill Patients

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump has signed a bill into law that would allow terminally ill patients to try experimental drugs that haven't been fully approved by the FDA. The so-called "right to try" legislation would give doctors the ability to administer drugs that have cleared clinical trials, but not human clinical trials.

The drugs would have passed phase one of the FDA's approval process, but haven't been completely approved by the agency.

Currently, new drugs have to go three three phases of clinical trials — a process that can take years. In the first phase, companies must show the drug is relatively safe for people and isn't poisonous. Such trials are often conducted on as few as 30 patients, CBS News reported.

In the subsequent phases, clinical trials assess if the drug is effective at treating the condition it was created to treat without major side effects. Most drugs fail this part of the test.

Trump said he believes the legislation could save "hundreds of thousands" of lives, CNN reported.

"With the passage of this bill, Americans will be able to seek cures," the president said.

The bill was signed on Wednesday afternoon.

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