Hatch, Bennet, Burr, and Casey Introduce Bill to Expand Eligibility to Experimental Treatments
Washington, D.C.— Today, Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to improve clinical trials for experimental medical treatments that will ultimately save lives.
“The long clinical trial and evaluation process prevents many Americans from getting the care they need when they need it.” Hatch said. “What’s worse, the cumbersome process discourages high-risk patients from enrolling in clinical trials, even though these are the very patients who need the treatments most. These obstacles prevent the FDA and drug manufacturers from gathering critical data, resulting in fewer treatment options for patients. Our bill seeks to correct these shortcomings by giving drug manufacturers and sponsors suggestions on how to broaden eligibility for clinical trials. This proposal will improve medical treatments by encouraging manufacturers to recruit more high-risk patients in their clinical trials. With more comprehensive data, manufacturers will be better equipped to develop drug treatments that offer hope and relief to thousands of Americans.”
“The current clinical trial process is outdated, preventing the FDA and drug manufacturers from developing critical treatments for patients who need them most,” Bennet said. “This legislation will provide needed direction to improve clinical trials by expanding eligibility to high-risk patients. It will also create a more streamlined and transparent process for patients who still don’t qualify for a clinical trial, but need access to experimental treatments.”
"I am proud to support legislation that enhances our understanding of the clinical trial process today so that Americans may benefit from new treatments and therapies in the future,” Burr said. “The new information provided by the Enhanced Clinical Trial Design Act is a step in the right direction to modernize the process that provides Americans with medicines that save and improve lives.”
"Promising new drugs brings hope to patients,” said Casey. “This legislation will take important steps to improve clinical trial enrollment and increase access to experimental drugs for the patients who are most eager to try these therapies."
Background
This bill:
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Hatch Introduces Bill to Restart the Resource Management Planning Process in Washington County
Washington, D.C.— Today, Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, introduced legislation to end the current implementation of new Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for Washington County. Hatch’s bill also requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restart the resource management planning process.
“A court-ordered deadline for publishing RMPs resulted in BLM rushing its plans from the start, cutting out local voices in the implementation process,” Hatch said. “Affected stakeholders are rightly upset. The RMPs not only fail to meet the needs of Washington County; they also present significant problems for the rapidly growing community. These RMPs will have lasting effects on people’s lives in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. That’s why we need to rethink this process and get it right. This legislation will send BLM back to the drawing board, paving the way for a reinvigorated proposal that will take into account local perspectives.”
This bill directs the BLM to restart the resource management planning process for the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in Washington County. The legislation is supported by the Washington County Commission, Washington County Water Conservancy District, and the Mayor of St. George.
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