Trending News Today: GOP Right to Try Bill Under Fire from Top Democrat

A revised version of the “right to try” bill faces scrutiny from the top Democrat from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, according to The Hill. Rep Frank Pallone Jr (D-NJ), ranking member of the committee, said that the GOP bill may put patients at risk by removing FDA involvement in access to experimental drugs. Pallone said that the parties should work together to develop a bipartisan consensus that would protect patients and ensure access to investigational treatments while upholding the approval process, according to the article.

Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would bolster the DEA’s ability to combat opioid abuse, The Hill reported. The new bill would authorize the DEA to consider rates of overdose death and abuse when setting limits for the production of Schedule 1 and 2 controlled substances, according to the article. Currently, the DEA is only allowed to consider past sales and demand for the products.

A recent study found that the Great Recession—starting in 2007—resulted in a significant number of patients not adhering to their blood pressure and diabetes medications, according to STAT. Nonadherence and other factors resulted in less control of blood pressure and blood glucose measures after the recession hit compared with other time periods, STAT reported. These findings provide strong evidence that economic issues play a role in public health, according to the article.