Terminally ill people can't try experimental drugs?
Shouldn't they be the ones to decide that?
It would seem they should decide but I don’t know the law.
Years ago, lab tests were done on animals -- that is, until the pet nazi's began slashing and burning college and University labs.
Health care costs have continued to rise and because humans are being used as guinea pigs. Most people don't even take the time to read what they are "waiving" away in what are actually experimental quantities inside and among older, more proven drugs, so I've read over the years.
Folks get their prescriptions filled, and once they take receipt of the drugs, most then take the time to read the fine print. By then, they've already given consent.
But for a dying patient willing to be an "in the open" experiment? There's a case pending in CA where exactly that happened, and it involved the man's stem cells. Apparently, the man has no right to any profit, as he did live. And as part of the procedure, he basically gave his DNA map away, among other very personal affects.
Assuredly, there must be a reason why Democrats in CA keep demanding "u" health -- healthcare for the masses....
Yes, they can. But the pharmaceutical companies take a major risk, both ethically and in terms of liability, in offering them. With any proposed drug first a toxicity study must be done on animals, and only then might an efficacy/dosage testing even be considered for human patients. You don't have a drug at this point, you only have a theory. And there are a lot of drugs that can cure one condition and kill you with another.
It isn't just that a terminal patient is going to die anyway, the ethical issue is quality of what remains of that life. The chances of making things worse are greater than the chances of a "miracle" cure.
There is another form of such testing, "off-label" indications for existing drugs. There at least the toxicity is nailed down and one has an idea of what dosages will produce what side effects. But efficacy for a new indication - a different disease - is not known at this point. It's still risky. My guess is that most of the testing of drugs on terminal patients (in the U.S.) takes this form.
I am not a doctor, so understand that this is a very vague description by a layman with only a peripheral knowledge of the industry. I'll happily take correction from more knowledgable FReepers.
Terminally ill people can’t try experimental drugs?”
even addictive pain killers are illegal.